Pork shortage
Agriculture

Pork shortage solved?

Feb 17, 2021, 7:26 AM
James Veloso

James Veloso

Writer/Columnist

Agriculture department says influx of hog supply from provinces ensures adequate supply - and stable prices - for meat products in Metro Manila

The Department of Agriculture says 'meat shortage' in Metro Manila may end soon with deliveries of hogs from provinces

IF AGRICULTURE officials are to be believed, it appears that the meat shortage in Metro Manila especially pork was finally addressed by the government.

This, after the Department of Agriculture (DA) said additional hogs delivered to Metro Manila from various provinces have already met the average daily requirement for the region.

“The daily requirement here (Metro Manila) is 4,000 swine a day, we have already recorded about 4,500 hogs of shipment on February 15,” DA Assistant Secretary Arnel de Mesa said in a recent press briefing.

De Mesa said that Calabarzon supplied the most number to Metro Manila sharing 49.8 percent of the 4,418 pigs that arrived in the Big City last February 15.

He added the regions of Mimaropa, Western Visayas, Central Luzon, Soccsksargen, Zamboanga Peninsula, Bicol Region, Central Visayas, Northern Mindanao, Cagayan Valley, and Ilocos have also participated in sending additional hogs to Metro Manila.

DA Secretary William Dar earlier ordered the DA regional offices to mobilize their respective local pork industries, so Metro Manila markets can match the high demand of the consumers.

Prices stabilized

DA spokesperson Noel Reyes said prices in Metro Manila public wet markets have now stabilized due to the influx of hogs from the provinces.

“We can also expect the prices to continue to normalize as several private groups have already committed to ship more hogs in the coming weeks,” Reyes added.

On Wednesday, live pigs approximately valued at P24 million arrived from parts of Mindanao and were brought directly to slaughterhouses.

These will be sold in the different public markets to provide Metro Manila consumers with safe and affordable pork meat.

Additionally, the Soccsksargen Region also nodded to more than 5,000 hogs delivered each week to Metro Manila. (JV)


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