Kiko calls for additional interest-free loans for backyard hog raisers

As the price cap on pork products goes on its second week, Senator Kiko Pangilinan urged the Department of Agriculture on Monday to focus its initiatives to overcome the effects of the African swine flu (ASF) on backyard hog raisers.

“We welcome DA’s P500 million worth of interest-free loans payable in three to five years, initially set aside by its Agricultural Credit and Policy Council (ACPC) for backyard hog-raisers,” said the former Presidential Assistant on Food Security and Agricultural Modernization.

“But we also call for three things. Una, maging mas aggressive at proactive sa pag-rollout ng availment ng pautang na ito. Madalas kasi hindi alam ng maliit na magbababoy na merong mga ganitong magaan na pautang,” he said.

Secondly, Pangilinan asked that the lending process be made easier so that more small-scale hog-raisers can avail themselves of the credit facility.

“Kadalasan pumupunta na lang sa mga nag-fa-five-six ang mga kababayan natin kasi mas madaling umutang sa kanila. Dahil gipit, sa usurero kumakapit,” he said.

Thirdly, with P27 billion allocated for commercial hog-raisers, Pangilinan suggested a much bigger credit allocation for backyard hog-raisers.

“Kung ikukumpara sa nakalaang pautang para sa mga commercial hog-raisers, wala pang 2 percent ang bahagi ng para sa mga maliliit na magbababoy,” he said.

Citing the Bureau of Animal Industry’s swine inventory as of January 2018, Pangilinan said this credit allocation is disproportionate to the almost two heads produced by backyard hog-raisers for every head produced by commercial hog-raisers.

“Mas marami ang kanilang kontribusyon sa suplay ng baboy at mas kailangan ng maliliit nating kababayan ang ganitong pautang,” he said.

Source: Latest Politics News Today (Politics.com.ph)