Marketing opportunities for regions that are free from the dreaded African swine fever virus continue to expand.
Remelyn Recoter, director of Department of Agriculture Region 6, said several hog-producing areas in Luzon that were hit by ASF can no longer supply the pork requirements of Metro Manila.
Due to this, it opened the market for “green zone” regions, including Western Visayas, she said.
This pushed the Provincial Veterinary Office (PVO) of Negros Occidental to campaign for intensive swine restocking among backyard raisers now that the liveweight price for hogs has reached up to P170 per kilogram in Metro Manila, she said.
Although Negros Occidental has 5,000 hogs surplus every month, animal raisers are advised to breed more hogs because of the growing population and the influx of tourists visiting the province, Dr. Renante Decena, PVO head, said.
On February 25, DA-6, Bureau of Animal Industry-Veterinary Quarantine Service 6, and PVO-Negros Occidental facilitated the shipment of 225 hogs to Metro Manila.
DA is providing transport subsidy to shippers and traders to help stabilize the soaring pork prices in Metro Manila, Recoter said.
The live hogs approximately valued at P3.4million will be brought directly to slaughterhouses and will be sold in the different public markets to provide Metro Manila consumers with safe and affordable pork, she said.
Meanwhile, private group Iloilo-Bacolod Association of Veterinary Sales Representatives kicked off their four-day caravan in Negros Occidental today, March 1, until March 4 to help prevent the entry of ASF in the region.*