Collective action needed against ASF
The plan to impose a price ceiling on pork and chicken would certainly give consumers a reprieve from sharp spikes in the cost of food (See, “DA, DTI pin hopes on price-freeze order on pork and chicken,” in the Businessmirror, January 26, 2021). A price freeze will benefit the so-called Bottom 30 of the population who spend more than 50 percent of their earnings for food. Small businesses that rely on wet markets for meat products will also get a reprieve from exorbitant prices.
The push for a price freeze on meat products and other agricultural produce came after government data indicated that wet markets and even supermarkets in Metro Manila are retailing pork at record prices in recent weeks. The tight pork supply is affecting other meat products as consumers were forced to look for alternatives for their favorite source of protein. The price situation was aggravated by high prices of vegetables, particularly those sourced from areas struck by the successive typhoons last year.
A price freeze, however, is just a temporary measure, one that should give the government enough elbow room to fix the issues that are hampering the delivery of food products to urban areas. Of particular concern is the dreaded African swine fever, which has struck hog farms in Luzon and in some areas in Mindanao. More than a year after the government first confirmed the presence of ASF in hog farms in Rizal, the Philippines continues to grapple with the disease that is fatal to hogs.
According to the government’s report to the World Animal Health Organization or OIE dated September 2020, the sources of infection are swill feeding, illegal movement of animals, and fomites on humans, vehicles, and feeds. The government said containing the hog disease presents a huge challenge, given the fact that it can live for days in rubber tires, shoes and in chilled meat. The hog disease is so vicious that it threatened to wipe out the hog population of China, the world’s top producer of pork.
As China continues to struggle with ASF, it would have to rely on other sources of pork, which is also a favorite source of protein of the Chinese. The discovery of two new strains of ASF could pose a threat to China’s pork production. This would consequently put a pressure on global supply and international prices and make it more expensive for countries like the Philippines to import pork.
The government is now taking additional steps to combat the hog disease (See, “Rapid test kit seen boosting fight against ASF,” in the Businessmirror, January 25, 2021), but it must do more to eradicate ASF and stabilize the domestic supply of pork. For one, government must ensure the compliance of hog raisers and traders with the biosecurity protocols put in place to prevent the spread of the hog disease, including the proper disposal of dead hogs. The cooperation of hog raisers and the public is crucial if the Philippines is to win the war against ASF. No less than the country’s food security is now at stake.