TAGBILARAN CITY, Bohol (PIA) -- A big opportunity has opened for Boholano hog growers. 

Pork traders are looking at Bohol as a source of 200 heads of lechon-grade whole pork per week and another 4,000 heads of live hogs per month to Cebu markets. 

During the recent consultative conference for local swine traders, buyers, and raisers held in Bohol, Mandy Carlos, representing Ayers Lechon of Cebu, announced that they need 13 to 70 kilos of live hogs for lechon, or a total of 4,000 per month of hogs for slaughter.

Another trader, Romero Obguia from Tubigon town, is also eyeing to supply Negros Island with some 700 to 1,000 heads of hogs per month. 

Since there is no established route for Bohol to Bacolod and Ilo-ilo cities, Obguia is chartering a hog barge to deliver the hogs to Negros.

However, every delivery must be at least 700 heads for slaughter from 80 to over a hundred kilos, for a break-even cost and for the delivery to be profitable. 

Provincial Veterinarian Dr. Stella Marie Lapiz said Bohol hog raisers have yet to benefit from the province’s status as among the few provinces that are ASF-free. 

“We have not really received any incentive despite being ASF-free. In fact, the prevailing price of live weight is from P160 to P200,” Lapiz said during the conference that was organized by her office to explore the possible supply plan of hogs for Cebu and Negros islands. 

The price for pork in the local markets, however, ranges from P280 to P350. 

This is almost the same as the market display price in areas hit by ASF, she said. 

Additional costs 

With Cebu opening its markets for suppliers from Bohol, hogs from Bohol could only land in Cebu City and will go directly to the city’s slaughterhouse. 

With the possibility of contamination when using the same hog transport between Bohol and Cebu, a local ordinance restricts vehicles used in hog transport from across the islands to come into the province.

This means only local transport would be used to round up the Bohol supply and deliver them to a consolidation area where this could be loaded to a hog container for shipping. 

The consolidation area should be some place away from the searing heat, with a good water supply to keep the stocks free from stress and to keep them from dying. 

However, these could incur additional costs for the traders. 

To address this concern, the Office of the Provincial Veterinarian as well as the local traders have initiated steps to help put up the necessary supply.

Edgar Suarez, a sales agent for a commercial feeds brand, said he would ask his agents to consolidate and help growers get value for their sacrifices.

Gov. Erico Aristotle Aumentado earlier issued a memorandum circular directing the local government units to reactivate their local price coordinating councils. 

This aims to set up a local price monitoring and enforcement team that would pave the way for the crafting of a local legislation that would go after buyers and traders who buy cheap and sell high for high profits. (RAHC/PIA7 Bohol)