The National Federation of Hog Farmers Inc. is promoting the consumption of frozen pork among Filipinos as the Department of Agriculture is strengthening its "Pork in a Box" program.

NFHFI president Albert R.T. Lim said the hog industry will soon launch a campaign that will encourage consumers to buy frozen pork, whose quality, he said, is the same as non-frozen pork sold in meat shops. Since Filipinos have aversion to frozen meats, believing that these are no longer fresh, Lim said hog raisers want them to know that "there's nothing wrong with frozen pork."

In fact, the pork juices can be preserved better if it is frozen, he said, adding that it is actually a practice in homes to put meat inside the freezers, if there is no need to cook it immediately. The DA said "Pork in a Box" players noted that the program, launched in 2005, was not received well, primarily because chilled/frozen pork is not widely preferred by consumers.

Through "Pork in a Box, " the transport of live hogs is eliminated as only chilled or frozen carcass and cut products from Mindanao and Visayas, including Negros Occidental, are brought to markets in Metro Manila.

Lim said the hog farmers are glad the DA has strengthened the program to enable them to take part in the supply chain and provide the consumers easy access to quality pork cuts at a lower price.

The farmgate price of pork is now pegged at P75 per kilo, but the market price can go as high as P120. Prices, however, can still go down to P97 to P100 per kilo, if levels of middlemen are reduced and without add-on cost in marketing pork products.

"We will now be able to control the market and stabilize pork prices," he said, adding that since live hogs are no longer transported, there is also low risk of disease transmission among hogs.

Lim said that, in the past two years, Negrense hog farmers have stopped shipping live hogs to Luzon and since then, have been selling to buyers from Cebu.*NLG

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