DA finalizing recommendation on ASF state of emergency

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Agriculture (DA) aims to make its recommendation to Malacañang within the week on whether to declare a national state of emergency due to the African swine fever (ASF) outbreak.

Agriculture Secretary William Dar said at the Laging Handa public briefing yesterday the DA is finalizing its position based on the Senate recommendation and will submit it to the Palace next week.

Earlier, members of the Senate committee on agriculture and food made the call for the declaration of a state of emergency, citing the P50 billion in losses to the local hog industry.

National Federation of Hog Farmers Inc. president Chester Warren Tan told The STAR their group supports the call to allow the government to realign funds for the hog industry’s recovery program.

Tan noted that in Luzon alone, 70 percent of the hog industry has been affected by ASF.

“What we want approved is, even if there’s not much damage, to include the Visayas and Mindanao in the state of emergency declaration,” he said, explaining that doing so would prevent ASF from spreading to these areas.

In an interview on Teleradyo earlier this week, Pork Producers Federation of the Philippines vice president for Luzon Nicanor Briones said a state of emergency would allow the release of funds to indemnify affected hog raisers.

At least 2,402 barangays in 40 provinces in the country have been hit by ASF.

More than 400,000 hogs have been culled, but stakeholders said actual losses are more than four million.

At the same briefing, Dar maintained that the price ceiling on pork products in Metro Manila is working.

Tan and Briones earlier reiterated their call to the DA to adjust the price ceiling on pork products under Executive Order 124.

The EO, which took effect on Feb. 8, imposes a 60-day price ceiling. It limits the price of pork shoulder or kasim at P270 per kilo, pork belly or liempo at P300 and chicken at P160 in Metro Manila markets.

Tan said the measure is not working as pork continues to be sold at higher prices.

Market monitors on Thursday showed that the prevailing price of kasim was P320 per kilo, above the price cap of P270 per kilo.

Similarly, the prevailing price of liempo was P350 a kilo, also higher than the set price ceiling of P300.