Marcos warned the “slaughter” of local hog raisers will begin if the Department of Agriculture executes its plan to raise the minimum access volume of pork imports by as much as three times the present 54,000 metric tons.
The senator said the DA should instead speed up its investigation into the reported hoarding of pork products believed to be the cause of the artificial hike in market prices amid the spread of ASF, particularly in Luzon. The lawmaker pointed out prices of pork imports from the United States, Canada, Spain, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, and Brazil suggested excessive profits were being made at the expense of consumers.
She pointed out even with additional cold chain, storage and outlet delivery charges, the meat importer’s rates would only amount to about P153 per kilo, compared to its market price which costs as much as P450 per kilo.