(BusinessWorld) TOTAL hog deliveries to Metro Manila surpassed half a million heads as part of an ongoing initiative to augment pork supply after the African Swine Fever (ASF) reduced local inventory.

In a report, the Department of Agriculture (DA) said another 6,492 hogs arrived in Metro Manila on June 9, putting the total to 503,403 since the issuance of Executive Order No. 124 on Feb. 8 that capped the prices of pork products.

From the new shipments, 3,382 hogs were sourced from South Cotabato and General Santos City; 1,072 from Oriental Mindoro; and 988 from Batangas, Laguna, and Quezon.

Other areas that sent hogs were Bohol with 660; Camarines Sur, Camarines Norte, and Sorsogon with 310; and Davao with 80.

Since Feb. 8, the DA said CALABARZON (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, and Quezon) accounted for 40.18% of total hog deliveries, followed by Western Visayas at 21.73%, and MIMAROPA (Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon, and Palawan) at 13.71%.

Meanwhile, the DA said 35,563 kilograms of pork in carcass form also arrived in Metro Manila on June 9.

The new shipments brought the total delivered pork carcass in Metro Manila to 3.88 million kilograms since Feb. 8, most of which were sourced from Central Luzon.

EO No. 124 capped the prices of pork shoulder (kasim) to P270 per kilogram (/kg) and pork belly (liempo) to P300/kg after pork prices skyrocketed due to the ASF outbreak.