CHRISTMAS being a Christian and not a Muslim religious celebration, pork plays a very important role in the season’s menu. Especially in the Philippines where we still boast of having the longest Christmas season from the start of Simbang Gabi (dawn masses) up to the feast of the Three Kings in January. And most especially in the Philippines where lechon is king of the Christmas menu.
While the middle class and the rich can still afford lechon at around P1,000 to P1,200 per kilo, the masses will have to make do with boiled pork ribs (buto-buto) and “giniling” with all the white “litid.” For the very poor, pork soup and some rice will make for a simple meal.
The importance of pork in the Filipino’s diet makes it incumbent upon the government to adopt policies on hog production and pork importation that will consider producers, consumers and importers. Pork should be made affordable to the people — that, at least, we know — and any government policy on pork should be tested against this basic objective.
‘With the MAV affecting
farmer-producers and importers, and ultimately the consumers,
the government should hear all sides of the issue before finalizing its pork policy for next year.’
It is in this light that many sectors are against the extension of the higher minimum access volume of pork imports until December 2022. This idea came from President Duterte’s economic team, and supported by the Department of Finance and the National Economic and Development Authority. They believe that with more importation, the price of pork in the market will be stable and affordable to many.
But this policy spells more hardship and misery for local hog raisers, especially the small backyard farmers. Fresh from their losses from the African swine flu (ASF), these farmers badly need full assistance from the government, particularly from the Department of Agriculture. We note that this aid has been in trickles and long in coming, as the farmers had complained. Meanwhile, mass consumers had to fork over more money to buy pork at P300 a kilo or more.
Meat importers have lauded the extension of the MAV rates, saying this will ensure the country’s meat supply and keep retail prices in check. They have backed the implementation of the 200,000-metric ton (MT) pork MAV+ under Executive Order 133 which ends on January 31, 2022.
Meanwhile, hog raisers warned that extending the pork MAV would do more harm than good, especially for local production. The National Federation of Hog Farmers Inc. (NFHFI) and Federation of Pork Producers Inc. (ProPork) maintained that an extension will not make any difference in market prices, saying there has been no “tangible reduction” in prevailing pork prices today.
With the MAV affecting farmer-producers and importers, and ultimately the consumers, the government should hear all sides of the issue before finalizing its pork policy for next year.
