File photo / WILLIE LOMIBAO
MANILA, Philippines — A group of swine producers from Mindanao has committed to ship 10,000 hogs to Metro Manila every week, the Department of Agriculture (DA) said Monday.
The Southern Cotabato Swine Producers Association’s (Socospa) made the commitment to the DA to address the limited pork supply in Metro Manila, Agriculture Secretary William Dar said in a televised briefing.
“‘Yung commitment po nila under the leadership ng Socospa led by their president Clinton Edward Ang, magpapadala po sila regularly sa Metro Manila ng 10,000 hogs every week,” Dar said.
(Their commitment under the leadership of Socospa president Clinton Edward Ang is that they will send 10,000 hogs to Metro Manila every week.)
As the 60-day price ceiling on pork and chicken started on Monday, Dar said some 27 metric tons of live hogs arrived in Metro Manila from various provinces in Mindanao.
President Rodrigo Duterte’s Executive Order No. 124 set price ceilings of P270 for a kilo of “kasim or pigue,” P300 per kilo for “liempo,” and P160 per kilo for dressed chicken.
But a “pork holiday” is seen in Metro Manila as hog raisers lament steep production and transport costs amid the implementation of the price ceilings.