• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
Mayor Ella Celestina Garcia-Yulo and the Sangguniang Bayan of Moises Padilla in Negros Occidental have expressed strong opposition to what they described as excessive importation of pork meats.
The municipal officials said the continued policy of excessive pork importation has a detrimental impact on local hog raisers, agricultural workers, and the overall food security.
On June 9, the Sangguniang Bayan passed a resolution expressing its strong support for and endorsing the manifesto of the town Liga ng mga Barangay opposing the excessive importation of pork meats to Negros Occidental Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson and the Sangguniang Panlalawigan.
Moises Padilla is dubbed as the livestock capital of Negros Occidental.
In the resolution, municipal officials cited several reasons for opposing increased pork imports, including concerns over the negative effects on the livelihoods of local farmers and hog raisers, disruptions in the meat supply chain, heightened biosecurity risks to livestock, and the potential weakening of the municipality’s food sovereignty or capacity to sustain its own food supply.
The Sangguniang Bayan also emphasized the importance of the swine industry to the town’s economy.
Council members noted that many local hog raisers are still recovering from the effects of African swine fever and should be protected from the challenges posed by competition from imported pork products. | GPB
