Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, October 16) — The Department of Agriculture (DA) said the prices of pork in Metro Manila increased due to low supply in the market.
“Depende sa good husbandry na ginagawa ng farmer,” Domingo explained. “Kung hindi naman sya naglilinis, hindi naman sya nag-disinfect, pwedeng more than eight months pa kaya mahalaga ang cleaning at disinfection.”
And this may continue until Christmas, it said.
Ronnie Domingo, officer-in-charge of the DA’s Bureau of Animal Industry, explained at Friday’s Senate budget hearing of the department that the African Swine Fever (ASF) continues to affect some parts of the country.
[Translation: It depends on the farmer. If they are not cleaning, not disinfecting, it might take more than eight months. That is why disinfection is important.]
About 350,000 pigs have been affected so far by ASF.
Domingo said the hardest-hit areas are Central Luzon and Southern Tagalog.
Villar urged the DA to immediately pay farmers whose pigs were affected by the ASF.
He said as a result, some pork sellers had to look for supply in farther areas which added to the cost of pork.
“Kaya ang supply ng baboy sa Metro Manila, mas malayo na ang binibilihan nila kaya this adds to the retail price of pork in Metro Manila,” Domingo said.
The senator said she fears that if these farmers fail to sell their infected pigs to the government, they will instead sell them to the market without declaring their pork is infected by the virus.
[Translation: The source of pork in Metro Manila is farther and it adds up to the retail price.]
This raised concern among senators especially with the yuletide season fast approaching.
Domingo said the process of paying farmers still has to go through certain offices.
“Sec, ang ibig sabihin nito mahal ang hamon ngayong pasko?” Senator Nancy Binay asked Agriculture Secretary William Dar.
[Translation: Secretary, does this mean that ham will be more expensive this Christmas?]
“We agree with you. We also heard those complaints at binigyan na kami ng instruction na pabilisin ang proseso…” Domingo said. “Simula kasi sa local government unit, dumadaan sa partner regional DA para sa validation ng data tapos may national validation pa.”
“Mayroon tayo mga areas na di affected ng ASF. Doon galing mga baboy sa Metro areas. Mas mahal lang po,” Dar replied.
[Translation: We have areas that are not affected by ASF. Pork in Metro areas come from there. It is more expensive.]
[Translation: We agree with you. We also heard those complaints and we were given instructions to speed up the process. From the local government unit, it passes through the partner regional DA for validation of data, then there is also national validation.]
Sen. Cynthia Villar, chairperson of the Committee on Agriculture, also pointed out that areas affected by the ASF will have to undergo eight months of cleaning and disinfection.
“Marami daw tumigil ng pagbababoy kasi pag naunahan ka ng ASF, eight months di pwede mag-alaga uli in the same place,” Villar said.
“Pag ganyan procedure nyo, ipagbibili ng small farmer ang kanyang baboy na yan,” Villar said. “Siyempre ang isang mahirap na tao wala syang paki kung sasabog ang ASF. Ang paki nya lang kung may kakainin sya for the day.”
[Translation: Many stopped selling meat due to ASF. It will take eight months before you can raise pigs in the same place.]
Domingo, however, said this can extend beyond eight months if the area is not disinfected properly.
[Translation: If that is the procedure, the farmer will sell his pig. Someone who is underprivileged won’t care about the ASF. He only cares about putting food on the table.]
