EBU CITY, Philippines (PNA) - Fewer hogs are currently being slaughtered in Cebu City, the City's Veterinarian's Office confirmed, and local dealers are feeling the pinch from the reported entry of imported meat in the wet markets.
"Traders and suppliers are already affected and farm owners are complaining," Department of Veterinary Medicine and Fisheries (DVMF) Chief Alice Utlang said.
While she could not give exact data, Utlang said there was a big decrease in terms of the number of hogs slaughtered each day.
She also explained hog raisers no longer sell as many pigs of marketable weight as they used to.
According to the Central Visayas Pork Producers' Cooperative, if the hogs get any bigger than what is considered marketable weight, the price drops.
What worries Utlang is the safety of imported meats, which are sold at cheaper prices.
Maria Pino-Buanghug, President of the Cebu City Vendors Association, said local meat vendors are helpless about the entry of imported meat in the market.
"We've heard for a long time that imported pork is being sold. We just want to have it verified because the prices have really dipped and the (imported) supply competes with that of local dealers," said Buanghug.
Utlang also wants to know why imported meat is cheaper.
She has since asked the National Meat Inspection Service (NMIS) for a list of meat importers in the city but has yet to receive the reply from the agency.
