Dar asks LGUs to include agri products in relief packs

Agriculture Secretary William Dar is asking local government units to include agricultural products in their relief packs.

Dar told GMA News that this will help address the glut in agricultural products.

The DA has projected a surplus supply of 94 days for rice, 234 days for corn, six days for vegetables, two days for fish and 233 days for chicken.

Only pork will suffer a shortage in supply equivalent to 43 days.

Dar said this was a result of the African Swine Fever that spread throughout several hog farms last year.

But Rosendo So, chairman of the Samahang Industriya ng Agrikultura (SINAG) told GMA News that there are 5 million kilos of pork in Mindanao and 1.5 million kilos in Visayas.

“Sa ngayon kasi, Visayas, Mindanao, may oversupply sila doon. So we ask for help from DA to ship those frozen meat na nakatay na ng mga local hograiser, to ship it to Luzon,” So said.

So reported that the live weight of hogs in Visayas and Mindanao is P90 per kilo, lower than the P125 per kilo in Luzon and the break even price of P110 per kilo.

Live weight of chicken, on the other hand, averages P58 to 60 per kilo, depending on size.

So said the break even price is P70 to 75 per kilo.

With the shortage in the supply of pork, Dar said the country’s chicken supply can cover the protein requirements of Filipinos.

“Simula ngayon, ang dami rin na glut sa chicken. So ‘wag tayo mabahala tungkol sa meat,” Dar assured the public.

He also said the DA is looking for ways to transport the excess supply of pork in the Visayas and Mindanao to Luzon without violating ASF quarantine protocols that are still in place.

“Maraming imbentaryo ngayon tayo sa pork. Of course, merong konting challenge doon sa transportation from Mindanao to Visayas. So inaayos natin yan. Importante ay hindi natin i-sacrifice yung quarantine measures natin sa control ng African Swine Fever,” Dar explained.

He added that several heads of hogs have been transported from Region 12 to Tacloban.

“Ang ating panawagan ay ang mga local government units na kung puwede ay bumili na rin sila ng mga pagkain kagaya ng vegetables na ipamigay nila sa mga constituencies nila. Even for chicken siguro. Even for pork sa may sobrang pork,” Dar said.

He added that if the partnership between government and the private sector will continue, like through the Kadiwa ni Ani at Kita for example, the loss of income of some agricultural producers would be averted. — RSJ, GMA News