THE Sangguniang Panlalawigan shot down a proposal of local meat vendors and hog dealers for the passage of a provincial ordinance that will ban the export of hog supply in Pangasinan to other provinces.

Echoing the slogan “Pangasinan should be for Pangasinan,” Grace de Guzman, Vice President of the Lingayen Meat Vendors Association, said the short supply of hogs in Pangasinan should only be for the consumption of the local population and should not be shared with other provinces until the African Swine Fever crisis that hit the province two years ago is over.

Her call was supported by Dr. Jovito Tabarejos, acting provincial veterinarian, who said ASF has affected 36 of 48 municipalities and cities, constituting 195 barangays that resulted in the loss P10.08 million to local growers.

Tabarejos said the passage of a provincial ordinance temporarily stopping the selling of the remaining hogs in the hands of commercial raisers will preserve the remaining stocks for the local population till the situation stabilizes.

But Second District Board Member Von Mark Mendoza echoed the sentiments of his colleagues opposing the proposal because of its negative impact on the economic cycle of the country.

He said such a move will boomerang on the province and Pangasinan will find itself deprived of badly needed basic food supplies especially during the pandemic. He cited the case of Baguio which is a major supplier of vegetables yet completely depend on hog supply from Pangasinan.

Meanwhile, Richard Barrozo, a hog dealer and former president of Meat Dealers and Entrepreneurs Association of Mangaldan town, explained the rise in price of pork in Pangasinan, from P340 to P350, by revealing that hog supply is being sourced in Bicol region.

He said costs of transport from Bicol through a number of quarantine checkpoints to get to the slaughterhouse have to be factored in.

The question hour was called by Fifth District Board Member Maria Rosary Perez-Tababa for the SP to determine what action can be taken to arrest the rising price of pork in the markets.

Meanwhile, De Guzman cited the disadvantage suffered by local growers from importers of frozen meat being sold at P250 per kilo compared to fresh meat’s P340 to P350 per kilo.

However, Tabarejos said the study conducted by the Office of the Provincial Veterinarian found that local households still prefer fresh meat over the imported frozen meat.

He said the National Meat Inspection Service which regulates the entry of imported frozen meat guarantees that only meat from only countries not affected by ASF are allowed to be sold. (Leonardo Micua)

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