DAGUPAN BANGUS IN SHORT SUPPLY

DAGUPAN bangus is in short supply now but the fish farms in western Pangasinan will save the day.

City Agriculture Officer Emma Molina said bangus from Bolinao, Bani, Anda and Alaminos have been coming in to Dagupan’s consignacion market regularly to fill demand.

Dagupan’s bangus industry was devastated by the flood two weeks ago brought about by heavy rainfall from Typhoon Pepeng and the release of excess water from San Roque Dam.

Molina, speaking before the city council on Monday, reported that damages to the fish industry have been estimated at  P471.4 million.

Nonetheless, Molina assured the council that there will be enough bangus for the Christmas and New Year celebrations, which will coincide with the city’s fiesta, as well as the annual Bangus Festival in April next year.

“We are worried if we have enough bangus,” said Vice Mayor Belen Fernandez, noting the big demand for the local milkfish by December and in summer starting March.

Molina said bangus harvest from western Pangasinan, which was not affected by the flooding, will be sufficient.

PRICE PER KILO

Meanwhile, Molina said that based on the daily monitoring conducted by her office, the retail price of a kilo of milkfish was pegged at a high of P97.

Immediately after the flood, the price went down to as low as P15 as all fish pens were washed out, losing millions of pesos worth of bangus to floodwaters.

Molina, however, also pointed out there is currently a problem in the procurement of bangus fry since the bangus fish hatchery of the National Integrated Fisheries and Aquatic Resources was also damaged.—LM

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