PCCI says importation of meat needed as Luzon supplies hit by ASF

There is a need to import meat products as supplies have been hit by the African swine fever (ASF), a representative of the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI) said Wednesday.

In a virtual town hall discussion, PCCI director Roberto Amores said the supply of meat, especially in Luzon, has been badly hit by the ASF.

"At this time, importation from ASF-free sources is needed to balance supply and stabilize prices," he said.

In his presentation, Amores noted the supply is not enough to meet the demand in the National Capital Region (NCR) and Luzon.

The Department of Agriculture (DA) first confirmed the presence of the ASF in the Philippines in September 2019. It blamed the outbreak mainly on imports from China and the practice of swill feeding.

Since then, the Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI) has imposed a color coding scheme which allows the entry of shipments from ASF-free areas in the Visayas and Mindanao.

However, hog raisers have been calling out for the government to increase financial aid for those hit by the ASF.

According to Pork Producers Federation of the Philippines Inc. vice president for Luzon Nicanor Briones, the government is only handing out aid to backyard raisers.

To address this, the PCCI urged affected farmers to temporarily shift to other products while the disease affects the hog industry.

"We, therefore, also recommend for the hog raisers to temporarily shift to other means like dairy production, rabbit raising, or grow high-value crops since the avaibility of vaccines is still uncertain at the moment," said Amores.—AOL, GMA News