DA backs call to hike price of live hogs in Western Visayas

ILOILO CITY – The Department of Agriculture (DA) supports the call of hog raisers to raise the price of live pigs in Western Visayas.

"Help support our local hog raisers by buying their stocks at P140 to P150 per kilo live weight price and let us continue to protect our swine industry in the region against ASF and any diseases," said DA-Region 6 Director Remelyn Recoter.

The DA-Region 6 led a consultative meeting here earlier this week with 83 hog traders, consolidators, and farmers from Aklan, Antique, Capiz, Guimaras, Iloilo, and Negros Occidental.

The consultative meeting was held as the two-week producers’ strike from the five provinces ended.

They had earlier complained that the price of P120 to P132 per kilo live weight is too low to be able to cover the cost of production, especially now that rising inflation has made everything more expensive.

DA-Region 6 Agribusiness and Marketing Assistance Division Chief Maria Teresa Solis noted that hog raisers often get the least return on investment (ROI) compared to traders and retailers.

The DA-Region 6 is looking at coordinating with price monitoring councils of every local government unit (LGU) to have a fair price for producers when Luzon-based buyers are low-balling local producers.

The DA-Region 6 also tackled other industry related issues in Western Visayas.

Dr. Jonic Natividad, chief of the DA-Region 6 Regulatory Division, presented the status of African Swine Fever (ASF) while Dr. John Roel Hilario, DA-Region 6 veterinary quarantine officer, tackled the domestic movements of animals.