P’panga food processors buy meat from Davao

CITY OF SAN FERNANDO — Meat processors in Pampanga have junked proposals to import pork and instead struck a deal with Davao hog producers for their meat requirements.

For three years, the members of the Pampanga Association of Meat Processors (Pampro) have been at a loss as to where they would source their daily requirements of some 2,000 metric tons of pork for their processed meat products such as tocino and longganisa.

The Davao hog producers promise to supply them at least 15 tons of pork weekly.

Even if locally sourced pork costs higher than imported meat, Pampro has reached an agreement with a group of Davao hograisers, led by Ricardo Floirendo, president of Nenita Quality Foods Corp. (NQFC), for the first delivery of a 20-foot container van of various frozen pork cuts whose prices range from P64 to P124 per kilo.

NQFC owns Mindanao’s only triple-A abattoir and meat processing facilities.

Prudencio Garcia, president of Mekeni Food Corp. (Makeni) and head of the Pampro delegation which negotiated with the Davao hograisers, said the first delivery is expected this week and will consist of 12 tons of ham and picnic cut pork, two tons of pork fat and one ton of mixed secondary cuts.

Garcia said, "The impact of this initiative, given the proper follow through by the private and government sectors concerned, could lead to a more stable price of pork in the market, reduce the pork imports of meat processors, support the domestic live hog industry and (eventually) lead to the export of local pork."

Pampro’s efforts to find local pork suppliers, Garcia said, have been stalled by "lack of modern and hygienic slaughtering and cold storage facilities and very unstable live weight price of hogs."

He said the 15 tons of pork that Davao hog producers would supply them weekly account for only five percent of the 2,000 metric tons which the 20 Pampro members need daily. Thus, the group is still on the lookout for more local suppliers.

Jomar Hizon, executive vice president of Pampro and vice president for purchasing of Pampanga’s Best food processing firm, said their agreement with the Davao hograisers stipulates a "lock-in price" for the pork supply up to December.

"This is a breakthrough in the meat cluster industry as it opens a new market opportunity for the P80-billion live hog industry in the country," Hizon said.

Hizon and other Pampro officials led by founding president Renato Tayag Jr. are now in Davao to witness their first pork shipment from that part of the country.