A GROUP of hog raisers in Davao City called on Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio to maintain her order temporarily banning the entry of live pigs and pork products amid the African Swine Fever (ASF) outbreak in parts of Luzon, giving assurance that there is enough local supply, including ham for the Christmas celebrations. They made the call after Interior and Local Government Secretary Eduardo M. Año issued a memorandum encouraging local government units (LGUs) in the Visayas and Mindanao to lift their respective bans in consideration of the industry. “(Mr.) Año is not imposing but he is suggesting to LGUs to lift the ban… Their concern is more on the losses of the production sa mga (among) meat processors. Meat processors import, they don’t buy local,” Mae Ann C. Cortez, secretary of the Hog Farmers Association of Davao Inc. (HOGFADI), said during the Habi at Kape forum. Alvin T. Teves, past HOGFADI president, said in the same forum that hog raisers and processors in the Visayas and Mindanao can meet local demand. “There will be ham this coming Christmas season, let us not believe reports that there will be none in December… We have local producers and meat processors,” Mr. Teves said in the vernacular. — Maya M. Padillo

RELATED ARTICLESMORE FROM AUTHOR