ILOILO City – A total of 1,645 heads of swine were traded to institutional buyers from Luzon and provinces of Aklan and Guimaras incurring a total of P16 million from Sep. 20 to Oct. 19.
“This resulted in a surmountable leap of income to our local farmer-breeders from nearby municipalities of Leon, Iloilo,” said Rolando Camarosia, Livestock “Oksyon” Market (LOM) coordinator.
Local traders from nearby towns and provinces would come to the “Karbawan,” as it was known from the early trading of livestock in the municipality of Leon, to trade their live animals which include swine, cattle, native chicken, and small ruminants.
Presently more than 100 traders are registered in Leon LOM composed of local breeders/raisers of Leon, and others from the provinces of Antique, Aklan and Guimaras.
Camarosia noted that 90 percent of the stock came from the farmer-breeders of Leon and nearby municipalities.
The Leon LOM had generated an income of P67,855 from the fees collected for transportation, environmental and parking.
“Sang nag–umpisa ang kargada, ang presyo sang buhi nga baboy yara sa P80.00 per kilo, subong nagsaka na sa P100 kada kilo,” Camarosia said.
He added that the marketing of swine had increased from 500 to 800 heads per week bound to buyers in Metro Manila, other parts of Luzon and Guimaras. Aside from swine, cattle and carabaos are also being traded in Leon LOM.
This joint funded project of the Department of Agriculture Western Visayas, Japan 2KR, and the local government unit of Leon paved the way for the rehabilitation and modernization of the “Karbawan” which is now called as LOM, said Camarosia. (with reports from DA-RAFIS 6/PN)
