MANILA— Pork imports can augment supply while the country grapples with the African Swine Fever, but the local hog industry needs government support while repopulating, an agriculture economics specialist said Tuesday.
“Support to the producers, yes I think that is lacking, and that should be improved by the Department of Agriculture. They will also need resources so I think they should be going back to Congress and asking for additional resources to spend, especially on repopulating," Foundation for Economic Freedom fellow Ramon Clarete told ABS-CBN News.
Clarete said the government must improve sanitary and phytosanitary border controls and to also speed up efforts in containing the disease, which entered the country in August 2019. President Rodrigo Duterte earlier imposed a price cap on pork and chicken meat products in the National Capital Region. But to make it more effective, violators should be jailed, Clarete said.