BY ADRIAN P. NEMES III

Meat prices in Negros Occidental, including Bacolod City, are now stable and even started to decrease after three weeks of surge, Provincial Veterinarian Renante Decena said yesterday.
Decena said the shipment of pork outside Negros Occidental has decreased, adding that only 100 live pigs were exported last week.
He said the local supply of pork and other meat products has increased and triggered the decrease in their prices in the market.
A report submitted by the PVO to Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson showed that beef has decreased by 35 centavos and is now sold at P280.60 per kilo from P280.95 per kilo previously, while prices of pork and native chicken remain at P225 and P253 per kilo, respectively.
Carabao meat costs P269 per kilo from P267 per kilo or a difference of P2.15, chevron or goat meat – P338.39 from P337.22, or an 83-centavo difference, and broiler chicken – P184 from P181, or P1 difference, the report also showed.
Decena noted that their campaign against vendors illegally selling meat products outside unauthorized meat shops continues. In fact, they were able to seize meat products sold in the streets a few weeks ago, he said.
He urged the public the buy meat products from authorized markets and meat shops only.
EGG PRICES
The prices of eggs in the province also remained stable, based on the monitoring conducted by the PVO, as of Feb. 15. Decena said small eggs cost P6 per piece, medium eggs – P7.31, large eggs – P7.99, XL eggs – P8.63, and salted eggs – P12.76.*