Marinduque lifts ban on transport of native pigs

LUCENA CITY –– Marinduque Gov. Presbitero Velasco Jr. has temporarily lifted the moratorium on the transport of native pigs outside of the island province.

“There is a request for growers of native pigs to be allowed to sell their pigs outside Marinduque because of the losses and financial difficulties they will suffer if native pigs are unsold after a certain period,” Velasco explained in his Executive Order No. 12 issued April 5. It was posted on his Facebook page Wednesday.

Velasco clarified that only “native pigs with less than 30 kilos live weight are allowed to be sold, traded, exported, shipped or transported from Marinduque to any place outside of the province.”

His order, which took effect April 5, further stated that each shipment shall be approved by the provincial veterinary office.

“The privilege to sell or trade native pigs outside of the province shall be subject to review after three months to determine if it will prejudice local supply,” Velasco emphasized.

In February, Velasco temporarily prohibited the transport of hogs and pork meat outside of Marinduque to protect the local swine industry and market during the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic.

The prohibition under Executive Order No. 3 was supposed to last from Feb. 9 to May 8.

E.O No. 3 aims to address the possibility of food shortage and ensure an adequate and sufficient supply of pork meat within Marinduque during the pandemic and the wide disparity in market prices.

With only a few days left before the pork price ceiling is lifted, prices in Metro Manila public markets have climbed to P400 a kilogram, the Department of Agriculture (DA) reported.

Prices are seen to rise further in the coming days as hog raisers stage a pork holiday to protest President Duterte’s move to support the hike in the country’s pork imports.

In February, Duterte imposed a 60-day price ceiling on pork and chicken in the National Capital Region to rein in the products’ skyrocketing costs.

Metro Manila has been addressing a pork supply shortage caused by the spread of African swine fever.

The Palace has proposed raising the minimum amount of pork that can be imported under the minimum access volume to counter the declining supply.

LZB