Antique hog raisers earn ₱12M in two months

Livestock raisers in Antique province were able to market 1,350 hogs valued at ₱12 million to four institutional buyers in the National Capital Region (NCR) from the second week of July up to recently.

The Local Government Unit (LGU) of Sibalom, Antique together with the Sibalom Livestock and Poultry Raisers Association (SILPRA) linked local hog raisers to guaranteed markets in Metro Manila to help the sector thrive despite the ongoing pandemic.

“The prevailing live weight price for hogs in the province ranges only from ₱80 to ₱85 a kilo through the local traders. We are thankful to the initiatives of the SILPRA and also to the support of the provincial veterinary office, our swine raisers are now selling hogs to NCR at ₱90 to ₱107 per kilo which is significantly higher,” said Albert G. Estoya, Sibalom municipal agriculturist.

From 180 farmer-members in July, SILPRA’s membership rose to 400 members from Sibalom, San Remigio, Hamtic, Belison, Barbaza, Tibiao, and San Jose.

The ₱3.9 million rehabilitation fund from the Japan 2KR Project for the Department of Agriculture’s (DA) Livestock Oksyon Market (LOM) in Sibalom enabled the smooth operation of the livestock marketing and consolidation activities.

“We want to stabilize the farm gate price of hogs to benefit our local farmers here in Antique,” said Estoya who also thanked the Provincial Veterinary Office for providing the logistics and trucking vehicles.

On September 7, SILPRA, for the first time, purchased 80 heads of swine from the local farmers and exported it directly to institutional buyers in Manila.

Estoya said that the 2017 DA funded Feed Mill Project worth ₱7.5 million, which is now on the bidding process, will further boost the livestock industry in Antique.

SILPRA is also preparing the requirements to avail of the low-interest loan from DA’s Agricultural Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (ACEF) program that will be used for the direct procurement of livestocks from its farmer-members. (Story by Sheila Mae H. Toreno/Photos by MA Albert Estoya/DA-RAFIS 6)