• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
The Negros Occidental provincial government is consulting its legal officers on whether it has the authority to compel traders to follow the price floor for hogs approved by the Sangguniang Panlalawigan (SP), as farmgate prices continue to fall below the level sought by local hog raisers.
The issue was raised amid concerns that traders may refuse to comply with the provincial government’s approved price, particularly if the ordinance is not legally enforceable against buyers.
“I have to consult with our legal officers if legally we can actually force them to peg the price at what we approved through the SP,”
Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson said on Tuesday, Oct. 19.
Lacson acknowledged concerns that traders might not follow the ordinance, adding that the provincial government still needs to determine whether it has the legal authority to compel them to observe the approved price.
The move comes after the Alliance of Hog Raisers Association of Negros Occidental led by Ric Lauron sought a minimum farmgate price of P160 to P170 per kilogram (kg.) liveweight to help producers cope with rising production costs.
The Provincial Local Price Coordinating Council subsequently set temporary floor prices for hogs, but raisers continue to report buying prices significantly below the level they consider sustainable.
Hog producers have warned that the local swine industry is moving closer to collapse as liveweight farmgate prices fall far below production costs.
Based on a joint manifesto, hog prices have dropped to around P90 to P120 per kg. while feed and other production expenses remain high.
Farmers estimate losses of as much as P5,000 to P9,000 per hog, putting both backyard and commercial raisers under increasing financial pressure. | GPB
