Cebu and NegOr Defy BAI Policies, Open Borders for Pork Products

A huge boost to local hog and pork producers is expected next week for both Cebu and Negros Oriental.

The provinces of Cebu and Negros Oriental will open their borders to allow the transport of live hogs and pork products between the two provinces that have been restricted because of the African Swine Fever.

This is the first time in the country that the two provinces form a bubble that will allow the free flow of the pork products which apparently disregard the measures imposed by the Bureau of Animal Industry.

Negros Oriental Gov. Manuel “Chaco” Sagarbarria personally visited Cebu Gov. Gwen Garcia to find a solution to the woes of local farmers in the hog industry.

Both will sign a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) next week which will also provide for a uniformed protocol in addressing the infestation of African Swine Fever (ASF) and other hog-related diseases.

“The plan, that was mandated by the national (government), the whatever infected and one kilometer radius (culling), has not been very effective,” Sagarbarria said.

Garcia and Sagarbarria met at the Cebu Capitol Thursday afternoon to discuss the ASF situation on both provinces.

“We discussed as regards how to address the BAI, whose policies have already caused negative economic impact to our hog raisers. So we hope that with this live press conference, other chief executives will take notice, other governors and mayors, that have been affected by the culling policy as well as the color-coding policies of Bureau of Animal Industry,” Garcia said.

Sagarbarria said that Negros Oriental already has an excessive supply of hogs and their primary market is Cebu which is why he personally wanted to talk to Garcia.

Sagarbarria said that the prices of live hogs have dropped to P85 to P90 per kilo since there is already an excess supply in Negros Oriental due to low demand because the products cannot be transported to Cebu.

“Ang among produkto na live (hogs) and their (Cebu) produkto na processed can now cross borders. This is what we are aiming. Sa pranka nga pagka istorya, naabot gyud among live weight to 85 to 90 pesos and that is very low,” the Negros Oriental governor added.

On the other hand, processed pork products like sausages, bacon, hotdogs in Negros Oriental are sourced from Cebu. The lifting of border restrictions will allow these products to be freely transported into Negros Oriental.

Both Governors agree that culling policy is not an effective solution to the problem and should be done only as a last resort.

Sagarbarria said they do not have any massive deaths of hogs in Negros Oriental. He said the only deaths are due to the pigs being culled, while natural deaths are “negligible.”