The Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI) has assured the public that the consumption of lechon (roasted pig), a favorite holiday dish of Filipinos, is still safe, following the discovery of African swine fever (ASF) in pigs from stores in Quezon City.
The attached agency of the Department of Agriculture (DA) said it continues to closely coordinate with the local government unit (LGU) and provide technical support in monitoring and prevention measures in line with national guidelines and protocols.
‘ASF is a highly contagious viral disease affecting domestic pigs. While it poses no risk to human health, it can severely impact farmers’ livelihoods and our country’s pork supply,’ BAI said in a statement.
‘The purchase and consumption of pork and lechon products from properly inspected and approved establishments remains safe.’
BAI, however, asked consumers to buy pork and its products from accredited establishments and follow standard food safety practices.
With this, the agency urged LGUs, hog raisers, traders, slaughterhouses, retailers, and the public to impose strict biosecurity measures.
It also prohibited feeding swill containing pork products, disinfecting vehicles and equipment, and immediately reporting any unusual pig deaths.
‘BAI remains committed to safeguarding the Philippine hog industry, protecting our farmers’ livelihoods, and ensuring the supply of safe pork products.’
Data from BAI showed that nine provinces and 11 cities or municipalities have active ASF cases as of October 17.
The Philippines continues to grapple with the lingering effects of ASF, which slashed hog inventory and crimped pork output since it struck local farms in 2019.
Tight supply then pushed retail prices of pork to as high as P400 per kilo, which prompted the government to issue a raft of interventions in its bid to ease prices of the Filipinos’ favorite protein source.
Such measures included the imposition of a maximum suggested retail price (MSRP) for pork and its ongoing swine repopulation program.
The current pork situation was compounded by growers recently lamenting the drop in farmgate price of hogs.
Producers warned that farmgate prices had plummeted between P150 and P180 per kilo, which they said was barely enough to cover production costs for backyard and commercial raisers.
As such, the DA and local producers recently agreed to set a minimum farmgate price for live hogs at P210 per kilo as the liveweight price plunged to the break-even point.
Earlier, the agency also said it would recommend reinstating the tariffs levied on pork to 40 percent from the current 25 percent, citing cheaper foreign shipments as among the factors behind the swine industry’s predicament.