‘Don’t bring pork products as pasalubong’

ILOILO City – This holiday season, do not to bring pork and pork byproducts as pasalubong (presents by one arriving from a trip) when coming home to Western Visayas.

This is a precautionary measure due to the African swine fever (ASF), said Director Remelyn Recoter of the Department of Agriculture (DA) Region 6.

“Luzon is ASF-affected. Western Visayas is still ASF-free and we want to maintain that status,” Recoter stressed.

All provinces in the region, except Guimaras, have banned the entry of pork and its byproducts from parts of Luzon and ASF-affected countries.

Despite this, Recoter said, the region’s pork supply remains sufficient.

“We are hopeful that our hog growers will continue to raise the said livestock amid the total ban of pork and pork products from Luzon. This is an opportunity for them,” said Recoter.

The hog sufficiency level in the region is more or less 280 percent, she added.

DA data showed Western Visayas’ total hog population at 1,250,681 as of Jan. 1, 2019. Of the population, 89 percent or 1,109, 815 heads were raised in the backyard while 140,866 heads were raised commercially.

The hog population is valued at P7.69 billion, excluding feed millers, corn farmers and other industry stakeholders.

“If we will be hit by the ASF, the livelihood of our backyard raisers will be affected. We know that backyard raisers depend on them for their consumption, tuition and domestic expenses,” said Recoter.

Recoter also appealed to traders not to take advantage of the hog raisers because it is supposed to be an opportunity for backyard growers to also earn.

She advised the public to buy pork products that are inspected and certified by the National Meat Inspection Service. (PNA/PN)

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