THE Cebu City Market Operations Division (MOD) is closely monitoring the prices of pork at the Carbon Public Market and in other public markets in the city.
Prices of pork have been fluctuating in the last few weeks.
City Market Officer Irvin Cabales said his office, together with the City Agriculture Department (CAD) and Department of Veterinary, Medicine and Fisheries (DVMF), has agreed to monitor the pork route, from farm to slaughterhouse to entry of the product in the market.
Cabales said the MOD, as well as the committee on market chairman City Councilor Renato Osmeña Jr., will reconvene with the Local Price Control Monitoring Council to regulate the prices of products, especially of pork, in the market.
Osmeña will file a resolution in the City Council for the reactivation of the price monitoring council.
Cabales said the Local Price Control Monitoring Council will provide the suggested retail price of the products, as well as impose sanctions on vendors who overprice.
With the reported decreased supply of pork in the city due to the effects of the African Swine Fever (ASF), Cabales said they will come up with a measure to ensure the city will not run out of pork supply.
While most vendors blame the low supply of pork for the increase in prices, Cabales learned from CAD head Joelito Baclayon that the city still has enough supply of pork.
Cabales said his office, together with the DVMF and CAD, will meet with local hog raisers to address the concern.
They will also address the report that since Cebu City has no reported ASF case, some suppliers are sourcing their pork from the city to Luzon.
Cabales said they are preventing pork hoarding. (JJL)