HOG RAISERS in Mndanao will receive assistance in bringing their products to market in Luzon and the Visayas, the Department of Agriculture said.
“We are looking at an initial volume of 1,700 metric tons (MT) of pork from Davao and General Santos City that are available for immediate transport to Visayas and Luzon,” Agriculture Secretary William D. Dar said.
The DA has assigned Undersecretary for High Value Crops and Rural Credit Evelyn G. Laviña to organize hog raisers and logistics providers in Mindanao to bring the island’s surplus pork north.
“Davao hog raisers committed to ship surplus pork of 500 MT monthly, while those in General Santos and Cagayan de Oro can ship 3,000 MT monthly,” Ms. Laviña said.
The DA has said that the national pork inventory is sufficient for the second and third quarters, despite supply issues caused by the African Swine Fever (ASF) outbreak in Luzon.
Mr. Dar said that pork from Mindanao is safe for consumption and free from ASF.
“Right now our pork sufficiency is 93%, as we forecast a deficit by the end of the year, at 31 days. In lieu of pork, we enjoin consumers to shift to other protein sources like chicken, as we have an abundant supply of up to 233 days or until August 2021,” Mr. Dar said. — Revin Mikhael D. Ochave
