BACOLOD City – The Provincial Veterinary Office (PVO) assured the public there won’t be a shortage of meat in Negros Occidental this Christmas and New Year celebrations.
Dr. Ryan Janoya, head of the Animal Health and Meat Inspection Services of the PVO, said the province has abundant supply of meat.
Janoya also said demand for pork dropped in recent months mainly due to the “scare” created by the African swine fever (ASF).
“But by the beginning of December, demand for pork started to increase,” he said.
The ASF scare eventually died down as Negrense consumers realized local pork products were safe for public consumption.
The demand for meat usually peaks during holiday season, Janoya said.
In terms of price, the PVO reported that, as of last week, almost all commodities remained steady except chicken which increased by P0.3 per kilogram.
Current average price of pork is also the same, at P220 per kilogram.
Janoya said consumers may expect price surges starting next week until the end of the month./PN
