Governor Bong Lacson together with the Alliance of Hog Raisers Association of Negros Occidental (AHRANO), Negros Occidental Hog Raisers Association (NOHRA), Negros Occidental Provincial Veterinary Office, and represented buyer signed the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) related to hog buying for Luzon market, today.
The signing ceremony was held at the Provincial Veterinary Office in Bacolod City. AHRANO and NOHRA, considered as producers, were represented by their respective presidents, Pastor Ric Lauron and Rosendo Dela Rama, Jr.; representing the buyer was Albert Lim, a private business entrepreneur engaged in the trading of live hogs, while the PVO headed by Dr. Renante Decena acts as the facilitator.
It is stated in the MOU that the producers will supply and sell their fattened hogs on a regular and scheduled basis to the buyer with consideration to the weight and quality specified by the buyer.Negros Occidental swine raisers have been producing fattened or market hogs in excess of the local demand resulting to oversupply that drove the farm gate price of hogs down, which also opted the raisers to market their produce outside the province.
According to PVO, there is an attractive market of hogs and pork in Luzon because of the huge demand of its growing population that led the provincial government to negotiate with the Manila buyers, recently.
There was also a low production of pigs in the area brought about by the African swine fever disease outbreak that has affected many provinces in Luzon and Mindanao. Prior to the ASF outbreaks in different parts of the country, Negros Occidental only supplies swine to the Visayas market.
Gov. Lacson said that he hopes the steady supply of hogs will bring about economic benefits to the Negrense hog raisers and the community amidst the worldwide pandemic that has affected the province.
