DTI faces ‘pork crisis’ over row between raisers and dealers

After the chicken supply shortage, the Department of Trade and Industry now faces a "pork crisis" as a result of a growing dispute between hog raisers and dealers.

The Philippine Association of Meat Processors, the Meat and Hog Dealers Association of the Philippines and the Pampanga Association of Meat Processors are complaining about the "excessive profiteering" being done by some hog raisers resulting in the increase in pork prices.

The meat and hog dealers are specifically complaining about hog raisers affiliated with the National Federation of Hog Farmers Inc. (NFHFI).

The meat and hog dealers want the hog raisers to make available live hogs at the agreed price of P82 per kilo (less the traditional three-kilos discount for stomach weight) which the hog raisers had agreed to in a covenant signed last Jan. 28 in Malacañang.

The meat and hog dealers warn that if the hog raisers do not do so, the dealers would conduct a "pig holiday" which would only make consumers suffer for the inefficiency of the hog raisers.

The meat and hog dealers have written Trade Secretary Cesar V. Purisima about their complaint and urged him to put pressure on the hog raisers who already earn a profit of P17 per kilo based on an P82 per kilo price for live hog.

The DTI, the meat and hog dealers said, should examine the cost of production of hogs.

At the same time, the meat and hog dealers are urging the Department of Agriculture to speed up the duty-free importation of pork.

They also suggested that the DA acquire live hogs at P82 per kilo and sell the hogs to the dealers who would then commit to sell at not more than P125 per kilo.