SOME 101,333 live hogs have been transported to Metro Manila since Feb. 8, when the Department of Agriculture (DA) capped pork retail prices in a bid to keep inflation under control.

In a report, the DA said 5,565 live hogs and 29,445 kilograms of pork in carcass form arrived in Metro Manila on March 1.

Of these, some 1,594 live hogs were sourced from Batangas, Rizal, and Quezon. Western Visayas supplied 1,435 live hogs; and South Cotabato and General Santos provided 1,055.

Other parts of the country that delivered live hogs were the Bicol Region with 756, Central Luzon 425, and Mimaropa (Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon, and Palawan) 300.

The DA said dating back to Feb. 8, Calabarzon (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, and Quezon) has provided 50,879 live hogs, Western Visayas 13,598, and Mimaropa 10,254.

Over the same period, carcasses transported to Metro Manila have amounted to 657,994 kilograms, mostly from Central Luzon.

The government is subsidizing the transport costs of farmers to encourage shipments to the capital, where the retail price of pork has topped P400 per kilogram, after supply was constricted by an outbreak of African Swine Fever.

As a result, pork and chicken products sold in Metro Manila were subjected to price controls under Executive Order (EO) No. 124, signed by President Rodrigo R. Duterte on Feb. 1.

The EO limited the price of pork shoulder (kasim) to P270 per kilogram, pork belly (liempo) P300 per kilogram, and whole chicken P160 per kilogram.

The price controls are effective until April 8.

The DA reported pork kasim prices of between P270 and P325 per kilogram in public markets. Liempo fetched P300 to P355 per kilogram, and whole chicken P150 to P190 per kilogram. — Revin Mikhael D. Ochave

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