The Magsaysay Group said it will not allow its vessels to carry hogs from General Santos City to Manila for fear of contaminating the shipments of its clients, a company official said.

The Magsaysay Group, which owns National Marine Corp. and Lorenzo Shipping Corp., is the second firm that refused to take up the cargo market that will be vacated by Solid Shipping Lines by late next month or early May.

Magsaysay Logistics president Roberto Umali, now president of Lorenzon Shipping, said last week that carrying livestock may be profitable but expressed apprehension that the company may face the same problems encountered by Solid due to lack of proper facilities at the Manila North Harbor.

“It’s not good for the ship because animal wastes are corrosive,” Umali, who runs the entire fleet of the Magsaysay Group, said.

A Superferry ship from Manila passes the sea of Batangas to carry its local passengers and foreign tourists to Visayas and Mindanao destinations. --Arvin D. Gutierrez

“I think we will just concentrate with carrying goods from our key markets,” Umali said, referring to manufactured goods and raw materials.

In February the Aboitiz Group, which owns SuperFerry fleet, also declined to transport livestock from Mindanao to Manila as these may offend their passengers.

With the refusal of the Magsaysay and Aboitiz Groups to ferry livestock, Mindanao hog producers have three remaining vessel operators to turn to sell their goods to Manila. These are Sulpicio Lines, Oceanic and Gothong Southern.

General Santos supplies about 6 to 7 percent of pork demands in Metro Manila, mostly carried by Solid.

The Philippine Shippers Bureau has also been looking for carriers since last month to serve hog producers sell their produce.

A PSB official said if no carriers will take up the load to be left by Solid, the delivery of about 15 percent to 20 percent of livestock shipments from Mindanao would be delayed, particularly those passing via the General Santos-Manila route.

At the moment, only Solid serves the General Santos-Manila direct route, making the company the preferred carrier among top Mindanao cattle shippers.  Unlike Solid, other shipping lines have a stop over at Zamboanga port to load and unload cargoes.

In May, Solid will stop ferrying livestock in all ports of calls and instead transport dry-goods and some agricultural products such as rice and corn.

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The Magsaysay Group said it will not allow its vessels to carry hogs from General Santos City to Manila for fear of contaminating the shipments of its clients, a company official said.

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