BACOLOD City – Local chief executives in Negros Occidental are backing the proposed regulation of hog prices amid concerns from raisers over declining and inconsistent live-weight prices.
Negros Association of Chief Executives (ACE) Inc. president and Cadiz City Mayor Salvador G. Escalante Jr. said mayors in the province are generally supportive of the initiative being pursued by the Negros Occidental provincial government.
Escalante said some resellers of live hogs have allegedly been taking advantage of prevailing market conditions by offering prices that could put hog raisers at a disadvantage.
“We are one with the province in regulating,” Escalante said, adding that safeguards would be necessary to ensure proper monitoring of hog prices.
He said the Sangguniang Panlalawigan could help establish mechanisms for monitoring prices based on prevailing market demand and the availability of hogs.
Escalante cited the situation in Cadiz City, where live-weight hog prices have declined partly because the city continues to source hogs from neighboring towns and cities to meet local demand.
He said a regulated pricing mechanism could help protect hog raisers while allowing prices to remain responsive to actual market conditions.
Escalante added that Cadiz City would adopt the policy once the provincial government issues an executive order on regulated hog pricing.
He said he had also consulted with other local chief executives in the province and that, in principle, they are prepared to support the provincial initiative.
The proposed regulation comes as Negros Occidental continues to address challenges confronting the hog industry, including unstable market prices and the effects of African swine fever (ASF) on local hog production.
The initiative is expected to provide a more stable pricing environment for hog raisers while ensuring a fair balance between producers, traders, and consumers. (WDJ)/PN
