Over 4M pigs ‘disappeared’ from overall pig population due to ASF — DA

Millions of pigs have disappeared from the country’s overall pig population due to African Swine Fever (ASF), the Department of Agriculture (DA) said Tuesday.

“Mahigit four million hogs ang nawala sa system. Nagsimula ang 2020 [nasa] 12.7 million hogs, ngayon nasa eight million,” Agriculture Assistant Secretary Noel Reyes said in an interview on Dobol B sa News TV.

Apart from culling of ASF-infected pigs, several hog raisers also refrained from resuming their livelihood due to fear of ASF.

“‘Yung iba hindi na nag-alaga ng baboy,” Reyes said.

Tight supply of pork and live pigs have caused prices to jack up to as high as P400 per kilo in Metro Manila.

“‘Yung pagtaas ng presyo ng baboy ay bunsod ng epekto ng ASF mula pa nong nakaraang taon. Noong 2019 pa ‘yan eh kaya bumaba talaga ang populasyon,” Reyes said.

“‘Yung kakulangan na ‘yan nag manifest na... last year maganda pa ang presyo natin P270 to P300, sumipa ang presyo ng holiday season [naging] P400 nong Christmas, ngayon hindi bumababa,” he added.

Despite the pig population problem, the DA official said that at P200 farm gate price it is justifiable to put P80 to P100 profit margin “so dapat P300 [per kilo] pero dito sa Maynila eh 400 pa rin, so may nagsasamantala.”

To prevent further spike in the retail prices of pork and chicken, the DA has recommended that President Rodrigo Roa Duterte impose a price freeze on said food items,  at P270 per kilo for kasim and pigue, P300 per kilo for liempo, and P160 per kilo for chicken meat. 

“Kulang sa ngipin kasi ang SRP (suggested retail price), hanggang doon lang suggested so pakiusap. Sa price freeze, pwedeng kasuhan agad ang hindi sumusunod sa price level,” Reyes said.

He said the DA is awaiting a decision from the Palace regarding the agency’s recommendation. — RSJ, GMA News