MANILA – The Department of Trade and Industry will convene the National Price Coordinating Council within the week to ensure a steady supply of meat, rice and sugar in the market in light of the planned “meat holiday” by hog raisers.

Trade and Industry Undersecretary Zenaida Maglaya said the NPCC would meet this week to confirm inventory, production volume and prices of these basic commodities.

Maglaya said that prices of pork had remained stable at P170 to P180 per kilo but if the hog raisers would make good of its threat to declare a “meat holiday,” the government should be ready because it would take between 6 and 8 months to grow a pig before harvest.

Capitol disperses
4,518 farm animals

The Provincial Veterinary Office of Negros Occidental has dispersed 4,518 farm animals to organizations and to rebel returnees last month under the Negros First Dispersal Program of Gov. Alfredo Marañon Jr., Catheryn Narez, livestock coordinator, said yesterday.

Narez said they distributed 4,123 kabir chicks, 200 gilts, 130 piglets, 60 Katahdin sheep, and five units of egg machines to hog raisers, rebel returnees, breeding centers, pastors, and kagawads in the cities of Talisay, Kabankalan, Bago, Himamaylan and the towns of Murcia, Moises Padilla, Cauayan, La Castellana, Binalbagan, Isabella, and Hinigaran.

She also said they will turn over 65 piglets and 400 kabir chicks this week to the League of Teachers of Candoni.

New DAR field office
operating in Bacolod

The Department of Agrarian Reform of Negros Occidental South now has a new field office at Rosario-Araneta streets, in Bacolod City that started  operations early this year. 

The restructuring of the provincial offices of DAR north and south is pursuant to the special order of DAR Secretary Virgilio de los Reyes to address the large work load in completing the acquisition and distribution of lands covered under the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program with Extension and Reforms and the delivery of support services and legal assistance to farmers and farmworkers, south PARO Florentino Sidalan said yesterday.  

Sidalan said his office will focus only  on the land coverage in Southern Negros, while Northern Negros is under the supervision of PARO Enrique Paderes.