Engineer Remelyn Recoter, Department of Agriculture (DA-6) executive director, has called on local chief executives (LCEs) around Panay Island to strictly monitor the prices of live swine and pork products to prevent profiteering.
According to Recoter, raisers in the region have been selling their live hogs at prices of as low as P100 per kilo. Pork products in the market, however, are being at P200 to P250 per kilo.
LCEs, under Republic Act No.7851, otherwise known as the Price Act of 1992, as chairpersons of their respective Local Price Coordinating Councils (LPCCs) are tasked to monitor the prices of, among others, meat products.
Recoter said the current price of swine is not good for the raisers given the very high cost of production especially among those who use commercial feeds as she asked small raisers and other individual raisers to organise themselves and avail of the Integrating National Swine Production for Recovery and Expansion (INSPIRE) program in order to protect themselves from the price fluctuations.
The INSPIRE program is a clustering initiative of the agriculture department designed to empower and protect the swine raisers.
Recoter further said that swine raisers in the region should also avail of the Agri-Negosyo Loan Program (ANYO) of the Agricultural Credit and Policy Council (ACPC) designed for re-population, rehabilitation and recovery of the swine industry.
A total of P300 million has been earmarked by the DA for regions that are considered as green zones or those that are not yet affected by the African Swine Fever (ASF).
These areas include Western Visayas, Central Visayas, MIMAROPA and Zamboanga Peninsula.
The said amount is available for individual raisers, small raisers and swine farms who wish to improve their swine business.IMT
