BACOLOD City – Live hogs shipment of Negros Occidental to Luzon increased in March and April with the continued demand for pork supply in the nation’s capital and its neighboring provinces affected by African swine fever (ASF).
From April 1 to 18, shipment reached 4,757 while in March, some 5,088 heads were shipped by the province, data from the Provincial Veterinary Office (PVO) showed.
Only 1, 896 heads were shipped in February due to the 60-day price ceiling on pork and chicken in Metro Manila.
PVO chief Dr. Renante Decena said on Tuesday that the April shipment is expected to increase and the number of hogs for Luzon and other neighboring provinces to also rise.
Negros Occidental shipped a total of 18,635 hogs to various destinations nationwide from January to April 18, records showed.
Of the total supply, 63.1 percent was sourced from registered commercial farms while 36.9 percent, from backyard raisers.
Most of the shipments were bound for Luzon, which is 82.7 percent of the total hog shipment, while 16.6 percent and 0.67 percent were sent to neighboring provinces in Visayas and Mindanao, respectively.
Decena, meanwhile, stressed that supply of hogs for local pork consumption remains sufficient.PNA/PN
