DA urged to limit pork shipments out of Zamboanga Peninsula amid tight supply
ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines — The Zamboanga City government on Tuesday called on the Department of Agriculture regional office to require meat suppliers to retain 50% of their stocks for local use because shipments of meat outside the region has lowered supply and caused prices to go up.
Mayor Maria Isabelle Climaco-Salazar said the city veterinary office has already met with the DA regional office and recommended dialogue with the local meat suppliers to put a ceiling on their shipment.
"We need to buffer 50% for the consumers of our region. There should be an agreement for the Department of Agriculture and the meat product producers so that the supplies in the region will not be affected as there is also a big demand in the region," Salazar said.
READ: In defense of ‘pork holiday’: Meat sellers’ plight highlighted amid price cap
Prices of pork products range from P270 to P320 per kilo depending on the cut while dressed chicken sells for P200 per kilo.
Dr. Jose Leon Galicia, chief of the Bureau of Animal Industry at the DA regional office, said that they have monitored around 280 heads of hogs from Zamboanga del Norte and Zamboanga del Sur were shipped outside the region.
The city, the regional center of Zamboanga Peninsula, depends on neighboring provinces for its pork because of restrictions against African Swine Fever.
Zamboanga Peninsula remains ASF-free.
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