ASF-FREEThe local government unit (LGU) of San Jose de Buenavista announces that it is now free from African swine fever (ASF) following the certification issued by the Department of Agriculture Regional Office 6 on Feb. 23. Despite this, the San Jose de Buenavista Municipal Economic Enterprise and Development Office (MEEDO) monitored the continued increase in the prices of pork. (PNA file photo)
SAN JOSE DE BUENAVISTA, Antique – This capital town on Wednesday urged the provincial government to act on its request to address the soaring prices of pork.
Darcy Bungay, Municipal Economic Enterprise and Development Office (MEEDO) chief, reiterated the call for the provincial government to act on their request to regulate the number of live hogs being transported from the province to quell the continued increase in the prices of pork.
Bungay was referring to an unacted resolution submitted to the Office of Governor Rhodora Cadiao on Nov. 9, 2023 which requested for the regulation of shipment of swine outside of Antique to ensure enough supply of pork in various markets in the province.
Pork prices in wet markets soared to as high as PHP400 per kilogram this week from last week’s PHP370 per kg.
“The meat vendors on Monday (Feb. 26) had increased their selling price of pork to PHP400, which alarmed Mayor Elmer Untaran and immediately called for the Price Monitoring Council emergency meeting,” he said.
At the meeting, sellers claimed that the buying price for live hogs had increased from PHP205 per kg more than a month ago to PHP235- PHP240 per kg at present.
This, they claimed, has left them with no option but to increase their selling price.
Bungay believed that the soaring prices of pork was also driven by outbound shipment of live hogs to areas affected by the African swine fever (ASF) like Iloilo City and other provinces in Panay Island.
“Although the Antique Provincial Veterinary (ProVet) Office claims that there is enough supply of live weight in the province, the San Jose de Buenavista meat vendors are having a hard time in procuring them because traders (from other provinces) come here to buy them,” he explained.
Reports said at least 40 to 50 hogs are being transported weekly by the Sibalom Livestock and Poultry-raisers Association to Iloilo and other parts of Panay Island.
In a separate interview, Municipal Agricultural Technologist John Philip Vicente admitted that there is scarcity of live hogs in the town, thus, the high prices of pork.
“There is really scarcity of live weight in San Jose de Buenavista that is why the price of pork has also gone up,” he said.
On Feb. 23, the Department of Agriculture declared the town’s 23 barangays free of the contagious hog fever.
At least 464 farmers had been affected by ASF, with PHP24 million in total losses due to hog mortalities.
“San Jose de Buenavista has also been reclassified into pink zone, but then the repopulation of the farms will only transpire after the sentinelling,” he said.
Sentinelling is a process where a piglet is placed under observation on a newly disinfected farm.
“After a month or so of observation and the piglet is not affected by the ASF then that would be the time that the repopulation could already start,” he added. (PNA)
