KALIBO, Aklan – The Sangguniang Panlalawigan (SP) of Aklan passed a resolution calling for a cap to the volume of hogs being shipped out of the province as a temporary regulation to address food security issues.
Considering the possibility of pork shortage in this time of pandemic, SP member Emmanuel Soviet Russia Dela Cruz said, it is necessary to ensure the supply of pork for local consumption.
“Pag hindi natin ma-regulate ang shipments, may posibilidad na maubos o kukulangin tayo ng baboy. We don’t want that to happen,” he stressed.
Aklan ships live hogs – some 3,200 heads every month – to Metro Manila and other areas in Luzon to stabilize the dwindling supply and prices of pork there due to the African swine fever.
The current monthly local consumption in Aklan averages 14,000 head of hogs, the Office of the Provincial Veterinarian’s slaughter report showed.
According to the SP committee on agriculture and aquatic resources and the committee on trade, industry and commerce, backyard raisers could only produce some 16,000 hogs each month.
The suggested shipment cap is 50 percent of market hogs produced by Aklan.
Another suggestion is for registered shippers and traders to get a Hog Transport Pass from the provincial government.
Dela Cruz also backed the appeal of backyard hog raisers to get financial aid from government agencies to sustain production./PN
