The Alliance of Hog Raisers in Negros Occidental is now in operation as an offshoot of the project of Gov. Joseph Marañon to make swine raising the second largest industry in the province and it has resulted in improved prices for backyard growers, its vice president Ray de la Rama said yesterday.

Our task is to improve the backyard sector through genetics and help hog raisers market their livestock at better prices, de la Rama said.

The alliance so far has dispersed of 180 gilts for breeders and another 180 are coming in the first quarter of this year, he said.

We also distributed 400 piglets for grow-out in the backyard sector, and another 400 are coming soon, he said, adding that, they are worth about P2 million from the governor and we are very thankful for that.

Our thrust is also to help backyard growers to market their pigs at the right prices so they are not taken advantage of, de la Rama said.

We have so far been selling pigs for backyard growers at P9 more per kilo, he said. This will encourage backyard growers to grow more pigs to boost their livelihood, he added.

He also said Negros Occidental now has a surplus in pigs and most of its produce is sold in Cebu that buys at good prices.

This month the alliance has been able to ship four truck loads of backyard pigs worth about P2 million, he said.

Before only commercial farms had a tie up with Cebu buyers, the backyard growers did not have the marketing arm to go into this, de la Rama.

That is why the governor encouraged us to improve the quality of pigs grown in backyards and assist in marketing to equate to better prices, he said.

We are encouraging other backyard raisers to join our alliance, which has 26 member associations, alliance president Rodney Taala said.

As a group they can avail of better prices for their pigs, Taala said.*CPG

Hog caption

Pigs grown by members of the Alliance of Hog Raisers in Negros Occidental.*

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