BY RHENJIE MARIE CALANTAS
ILOILO – Local government units (LGUs) have no control over the pricing of hogs and pork, according to Gov. Arthur Defensor Jr.
The governor received information that in San Miguel town, some hog raisers complained to their LGU about the plummeting price of live pigs – now at P80 to P90 per kilo only.
Defensor said the Provincial Price Coordinating Council (PCC) can only recommend price control measures to the secretary of the Department of Agriculture.
“No, we cannot control the prices; LGU cannot control the prices; it is the DA (Department of Agriculture),” he added.
However, according to the governor, this is only limited to the retail price in markets and establishments, and not the farm gate price.
When the provincial government met with the PCC, there was no recommendation on price controlling retail prices because there was no significant movement in prices; there were already cases of African Swine Fever (ASF) in the province.
Defensor added that it is possible that the sudden decrease in farm gate prices in some towns was because hog raisers were choosing to sell pigs cheap rice out of fear of suffering greater losses due to the possible ASF infection of their hogs./PN
