Palawan, Philippines-Prices of pork in Puerto Princesa have risen to P350 per kilo since last week after local hog supply reportedly declined due to shipment bound for Metro Manila and nearby Iloilo.
City officials during their regular session of the City Council yesterday, blamed the shipment of hog meat to Manila and Iloilo, whose local livestock supply has been infected with African Swine Fever (ASF).
The farm gate price in Puerto Princesa already reached P180 to P190 per kilo said Puerto Princesa City Veterinarian, Dr. Indira Santiago, which triggered the pork prices to soar and burdened local consumers.
Local traders and meat stall owners claimed that Manila-based and Iloilo-based buyers impacted local supply. A short supply of pork all over Palawan is also a result of the importation ban to prevent the entry of ASF that already hit more than 60 provinces across the country.
Palawan’s current regulations do not prevent shipping out healthy pigs and many hog growers are opting to ship out their products to take advantage of higher prices elsewhere.
Palawan is among the remaining 11 provinces in the country considered ASF-free. These provinces are Bukidnon, Lanao del Sur, Maguindanao del Norte, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi in Mindanao, Biliran, Bohol and Siquijor in Visayas, while Basilan, Occidental Mindoro, and Palawan in Luzon.
The claims of the local traders is also the observation of Mike Escote, a barangay official in Barangay Sicsican and a radio commentator. “Biik palang binibili na para dalhin sa Manila o Iloilo, ganyan ka tindi ang bilihan ng baboy dito sa Puerto Princesa at Palawan,” Escote said.
He said that the consumers preferred buying pork, especially during the monsoon period when fisheries products are scarce.
“Pag amihan, dito sa Palawan ay walang isda masyado kaya karne ang pangunahing ulam. Pero dahil maliit pa lang ang baboy binibili na ng buyers galing Manila o galing Iloilo kaya kumu-konti ang supply ng baboy,” said Escote.
The Sangguniang Panlungsod wanted to regulate hog growers and set farmgate prices.
City Councilor Elgin Damasco said that he intends to regulate the farm gate price in order not to put hog growers at a disadvantage situation. However, City Legal Officer Norman Brian Yap informed the city legislators that these are beyond the powers of the City Council.
Declaring a moratorium on the shipment of livestock is not also within the City Council’s power unless there is a declaration of crisis or calamity.
Puerto Princesa Liga ng mga Barangay President and Punong Barangay of Barangay Luzviminda, Laddy R. Gemang said that several hog growers in their place were forced to stop raising due to high production costs and increasing prices of feeds. Leonardo Enriquez, who is an agriculturist said that prices of feeds in Palawan are higher compared to other provinces which have feed mills. Supplies of feeds here were sourced from either Manila, Iloilo or Cebu.
On Thursday, February 9, the Puerto Princesa City Council’s Committee on Agriculture chaired by City Councilor Elgin Robert Damasco, and the Committee on Trades headed by City Councilor Henry A. Gadiano set to hold a committee meeting to deliberate the matter. They will also invite national agencies, stakeholders, and industry players to discuss and come up with a solution to the issue.
The price of pork in Roxas town in Palawan, 135 kilometers from Palawan’s capital is still P190 to P200 unlike in Puerto Princesa which already surged to P350 since last week.
42-year-old farmer Letecia Lastimoso of Roxas, Palawan said that high farm gate prices are advantageous to hog growers like her, but she worried that pork prices in their town might escalate like that in Puerto Princesa, if supply diminishes.