Davao City – Mindanao hog industry stakeholders are calling on the national government to employ President Rody Duterte’s Whole-of’Nation Approach in addressing the dreaded African Swine Fever (ASF) which has affected backyard hog farms in several areas in Luzon.
The need for the WNA Strategy in preventing the spread of the disease surfaced following the interception of a meat delivery van loaded with pork in Tacloban City and the announcement by Interior Secretary Eduardo Año that his department will ask Local Government Units to lift the ban imposed on pork and processed pork products with Certification from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
Earlier, following internationally accepted protocols to prevent the spread of the ASF, the LGUs of Cebu and Bohol issued EOs preventing the entry of pork and processed products from Luzon where an ASF outbreak was reported in August.
This was followed by Davao City and other cities and provinces in the Visayas and Mindanao.
The Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA) supported the move of the LGUs and has organized regional teams composed of the LGUs and the stakeholders to conduct an education campaign on the prevention and dangers of the ASF down to the village level.
Meat processors and meat importers protested the move saying it will affect the P56-B meat processing industry.
Local hog industry stakeholders in some parts of Luzon still free from ASF and the whole Visayas and Mindanao countered that the spread of the disease could destroy the P260-B industry and deprive thousands of Filipino farmers of livelihood.
The business group, however, succeeded in pleading their case prompting the Dept. of Trade and Industry and the Agriculture Department to agree that products with FDA Certifications should not be covered by the ban.
“Bakit, kaya ba ng FDA mag conduct ng test sa bawat shipment?,” a Mindanao hog industry leader asked.
To support their claim that FDA is not in control of the problem, vigilant stakeholders forwarded photos from a website which offers online processed pork products from China in spite of a ban issued last year.
“The meat processors and importers are protecting their business. What about us. They import so even if we lose our livelihood, they will not be affected,” said a Mindanao hog industry stakeholder.
“Kami na naman ang isakripisyo to protect big business?”, the stakeholder asked.
The Mindanao hog raisers are calling for a dialogue with DTI, DA and DILG to forge a common ground in addressing the ASF problem while at the same time protecting the hog and meat processing industries.
They have asked MinDA to facilitate the dialogue.
(Photos attached in this post were downloaded from a website offering Chinese pork products on-line.)
More Stories
Trump Presidency Boon To Philippine Agriculture
Mindanao Fruit Fest Scheduled Sept. 2025
DA, MinDA, LGU! MinDA Targets Tribal Areas For Highland Rice Farming