Hog industry lost billions due to ASF — farmers’ group

Hog industry lost billions due to ASF — farmers’ group | Daily Tribune

The hog industry had so far suffered colossal losses worth billions as positive cases of African Swine Fever (ASF) continue to be reported nationwide, according to a farmers' group on Wednesday.

“It's been with us for the past four years. In losses, billions of pesos. So, we lost 30 percent of our stocks. But we continue (with interventions). Some get hit, some recover," Samahang Industriya ng Agrikultura (SINAG) executive director Jayson Cainglet told reporters on the sidelines of a poultry and livestock event in Pasay City.

He added that interventions for the recovery of the industry are ongoing, such as the conduct of hog repopulation.

Prices drop

Due to consumers avoiding buying pork due to the ASF scare, its prices in the market in the past few weeks have shrunk from P30 to P40.

“Our live weight, unfortunately, dropped between P30 and P40. And I hope the decline of the farm gate has made the price of pork cheaper in the market,” Cainglet said.

Based on the Department of Agriculture's latest price monitoring, pork liempo prices currently range from P305 to P400 per kilo, while pork ham, or kasim, is between P260 and P370 per kilo.

“Hopefully, with the activities we did today, the people will not be afraid that our Pinoy pork is safe to eat, delicious, and fresh,” Cainglet added.

On Wednesday, Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr., along with AGAP Partylist Rep. Nicanor ‘Nikki’ Briones and former Senator Vicente Sotto III, conducted lechon chopping as part of their ‘Pork is Safe to Eat’ campaign.

“This is a continuation of what we did last week with Mayor Joy [Belmonte]. Now, we are with the DA, DOH, and Senator Tito Sotto to convey to the public that there is no danger in eating Pinoy Pork,” the SINAG official added, further ensuring consumers that hogs are safe to eat as they go through an inspection before being released from the farm and have a Certificate of Free Status on ASF.

Data from the Bureau of Animal Industry shows that as of 21 August, ASF cases had been reported in 15 regions, 32 provinces, 115 municipalities, and 458 barangays.

Despite these numbers, Cainglet said the situation is not alarming as the hitting of ASF is a normal occurrence in the local hog industry.

The DA earlier said it will conduct the controlled ASF vaccination on Friday in Lobo, Batangas, as a response to the rising cases of the highly infectious disease.

The first ASF case was recorded in the country in 2019.