BY GILBERT P. BAYORAN
Members of the Alliance of Hog Raisers Associations of Negros Occidental (AHRANO) have agreed to temporarily stop sending live pigs to Manila starting today, its president, Ric Lauron, said yesterday.
Lauron said this is one solution that they believe will bring down the price per kilo of pork in the markets in Negros Occidental and Bacolod City.
Lauron and Provincial Veterinarian Renante Decena met yesterday with Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson and agreed to temporarily suspend the transport of hogs to Manila since the price of pork per kilo in the local markets has already been affected by the supply and demand.
AHRANO is also up in arms against pork importation, because of African swine fever and its effect on local prices.
IMPORTED PORK NOT FAVORED
Lauron said imported pork may ruin the industry, since it will be much cheaper.
Agriculture Secretary William Dar has given the go signal to triple the country’s pork imports at lower tariffs, as the available domestic pork supply continued to shrink.
While they will follow whatever is the decision of the national government, Decena said yesterday that under the Local Government Code, local government units have the mandate to “produce, produce, produce” hogs.
Decena said that Lacson said the provincial government assured them of help to expand the production capabilities of hog raisers and breeders.
The plan is to enhance feed supply production, he added.
He reiterated that there is enough supply of pork for local consumption in Negros Occidental.
The AHRANO, that is being supervised by the Provincial Veterinary Office, has 15,000 individual members from various towns and cities of the province. The provincial government has established a Swine Artificial Insemination Laboratory Center in Barangay Gahit, EB Magalona town, worth P1 million, to improve livestock quality and increase the productivity of swine raisers in the third district of the province.*
