ILOILO City – The Department of Agriculture (DA) in Region 6 supports the call of backyard hog raisers to increase the price of live hogs.
The raisers have threatened to stage a “hog holiday” – holding off selling hogs due to the declining price.
“Tama man na nga pataasan kay ang cost sang production nagsaka man,” said DA regional executive director Remelyn Recoter.
Backyard hog raisers are wondering why prices of live hogs are decreasing when the cost of feeds are increasing.
“Mayo man na nga taas-taasan,” said Recoter, citing the increasing cost of feeds and fuel.
Who sets the price of live hogs?
The local price coordinating councils of local government units determine the ceiling price of live hogs, said Recoter, citing the Local Price Act.
But she also said the DA can recommend an SRP or suggested retail price on agriculture commodities, including hogs.
Robert Chua of the Iloilo Hog Farmers Association said they are contemplating one or two weeks of hog strike.
They want the price of live hogs raised to P150 per kilo from the current live weight price of between P125 to P130 per kilo.
Recoter said she understands the plight of backyard raisers and they are within their rights to seek better pricing for their live hogs, and to even hold a “hog holiday”.
She expressed hope that President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. as secretary of Agriculture would address the concern of the backyard hog raisers.
Chua said raisin g a hog costs around P12,000, taking into consideration the P4,000 price of a piglet, plus feeds that cost around P8,000.
It the weight pricing of a live hog is P125 per kilo, and granting the weight of the hog is 90 kilos, the raiser will only get P11,250.
Chua said a hog strike is disadvantageous on the part of hog raisers.
“Once ang baboy mag-reach sa maximum growth potential, feeding them more means nagabuhin imo capital, so you are losing. Wala balik,” Chua explained.
But a strike, he said, is a way to be heard by concerned agencies of the government.
“Ang challenges sa agriculture daku kaayo kag very complicated. Gina-expect naton ang aton DA Secretary, our President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., to provide actions on these challenges,” said Recoter.
The hog strike is also supported by the Sibalom Livestock and Poultry Raisers Association (SILPRA) in Antique as confirmed by its president Elma Peña./PN
