CHECKPOINT. Authorities lead the checkpoint at Barangay Pantar Norte in Balaoan town, La Union, in accordance to the ongoing ban on the entry and exit of pigs and pork products in the town due the African swine fever in this undated photo. ASF has slightly affected pork prices in the province based on the monitoring on inflation rate of the Philippine Statistics Authority. (Photo courtesy of Balaoan Police Station)
MALASIQUI, Pangasinan – Inflationary impact of the African swine fever (ASF) is now being felt in La Union, an official of the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) said Friday.
In a virtual forum, PSA La Union chief statistical specialist Dr. Danites Teñido said the inflation rate of pork products increased to 2.4 percent in July this year from 1.5 percent in June.
“It has slight effect on the prices of pork products but for this month (August), we cannot say yet since we will base our report on the consumer price index which will be available after data collection,” she said in Filipino.
Prices of pork products in La Union recorded slight uptick, from around PHP297 to PHP312 per kilo in June to PHP300 to PHP320 in July.
National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) Ilocos Region chief of project monitoring and evaluation division Freynon Perez said the availability of vaccine will help for the supply not to be affected.
In an interview Thursday night, AGRI Partylist Representative Wilbert Lee appealed to the Department of Agriculture (DA) to hasten the procurement and distribution of the ASF vaccine.
He said the government has to be pro-active by ensuring the availability of vaccines all the time.
Dr. Alfiero Banaag, DA-Ilocos regulatory division chief and ASF focal person, in an interview, said the virus has affected the livelihood of 132 hog raisers and around 704 heads of swine have been culled since Aug. 14, 2024 in La Union. (PNA)
