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CEBU CITY, Philippines – Being one of the few areas in the Philippines that has remained free of the African Swine Fever (ASF), the demand for Cebu-produced pork has increased.
In order to prevent a shortage of pork products and by-products here, the Cebu Provincial Government has ordered a moratorium on the export of live hogs.
Governor Gwendolyn Garcia issued Executive Order (EO) No. 8 on January 29, prohibiting live hogs raised in farms and backyards in Cebu province from being exported for six months.
“There is an urgent need to strictly regulate the export of live hogs and sows to other areas of the country in order to protect the pig supply in the Province of Cebu,” portions of the EO reads.
The Capitol’s new EO will take effect this Monday, February 1, 2021.
In a press conference on January 29, Garcia told reporters that her move is also meant to help stabilize the market for pork supply.
“This is only temporary, six months, to help stabilize the market. We’re preventing the possible and real shortage of park in the market,” Garcia said in a mix of English and Cebuano.
The provincial government met with pork suppliers from the Central Visayas Pork Producers Cooperative (CeViPPco) on January 29.
During their meeting, Garcia said members of CeViPPco told the Capitol that they could only produce a total of 2,750 metric tons of pork per month.
As of January 28, the demand for Cebu-produced pork all over Cebu totals to 4,226 metric tons per month, the Governor said.
“There is a possible and real shortage of pork in the market. If we don’t do anything about it, prices will skyrocket and Cebu will be the one to left without sufficient supply of pork. And we don’t want that to happen,” said Garcia in Cebuano.
Cebu and the entire Central Visayas has remained free from any documented cases of the ASF.
The disease that can severely damage hog farms and the hog industry has already reached the neighboring Eastern Visayas region, prompting agriculture officials here to heighten measures to prevent its possible entry.
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