Farmers Group ‘Samahang Industriya ng Agrikultura’ Says Pork Meat Supply Continue to Hound Industry Amid ASF
The farmers group Samahang Industriya ng Agrikultura (SINAG) said that the shortage of pork meat supply continue to hound the industry.
SINAG said that the shortage of pork meat supply leads to a drop on the consumption of pork products in the National Capital Region. Filipino families who were usually consuming 4 kilograms of pork per week now dropped to 1 to 2 kilograms per week.
The group also said that some vendors selling five to six heads previously ended up selling an average of two heads per day due to the effects of the African swine fever. The crisis also leads to soaring prices of pork meats.
The Department of Agriculture (DA) blamed the African swine fever and typhoons during the last quarter of 2020 for the drastic drop of pork meat supply in Metro Manila.
The Philippine government even imposed a 60-day price ceiling, which prompted vendors in various markets throughout Metro Manila to go on ‘pork holiday’ to show their opposition regarding the policy.
“By maintaining it, the government will send a strong signal to Filipino consumers — who suffer from lower incomes due to the adverse impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on our economy — that it does care about their welfare,” Agriculture Secretary William Dar said.
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You can also read: Pork Prices in NCR Market Continue to Increase Due to ASF