HOG raisers said the industry remains beset by oversupply and low prices despite bans on imports from some countries due to African Swine Fever (ASF).
“Supposedly (ASF) is an opportunity but not in our case. Since September last year, we have had a buffer stock of two months’ domestic local produce plus the imported meat that came in during the third quarter last year,” National Federation of Hog Farmers Inc (NFHFI) Chairman and President Chester Warren Y. Tan said in a text message to BusinessWorld on Wednesday.
“Since September Visayas [and] Mindanao has been in oversupply,” Mr. Tan added.
On Sunday, Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel F. Piñol imposed a ban on the entry of pork and pork products from Vietnam after ASF was detected there after shipments of Vietnamese pork to Taiwan were intercepted.
Other countries banned from exporting pork and pork products to the Philippines are: China, Hungary, Belgium, Latvia, Poland, Romania, Russia, Ukraine, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Moldova, South Africa and Zambia.
“Prices have been going down since New Year which is unusual. Normally, prices return to normal level in January-February, but instead [there is] a big price drop,” Mr. Tan said.
The Pork Producers Federations of the Philippines (ProPork), meanwhile, called for a total ban on pork imports from all countries until the ASF outbreak is contained. The federation also said that pork prices have been falling due to imports from Canada and the US.
“There is an oversupply of the meat because of US and Canada imports. We need a total ban on imports while ASF remains a threat. I don’t want a ban because of the affect it will have on prices, but to avoid the entry of ASF,” ProPork Vice-President for Luzon and former Representative of the Agricultural Sector Alliance of the Philippines (AGAP) Party-list Nicanor M. Briones said in a phone interview.
“Ang delikado kasi, China, may tama. E papaano kung nakalusot iyan sa Taiwan, tapos Taiwan pwede. Palalabasin galing sa neighboring countries, iyon pala galing sa China. Malaking chance na mapasok tayo ng virus at pag napasok tayo ng virus, at stake ang food security natin. Sigurado ’yung hog industry, tatamaan. 100% ang mortality. In 10 days, 80% mortality, ’yung maiiwan na 20%, binabaon na buhay iyon, (ASF is already in China. What if pork from China makes it to Taiwan and Taiwan is allowed to export here?… There is a big chance that the virus will enter the Philippines and once it happens, our food security will be at stake. The hog industry could suffer 100% losses — 80% from the disease and the remaining 20% from culling,” Mr. Briones said.
Farmgate prices for backyard growers of hogs are averaging P110 per kilo, Mr. Briones said, noting that average price last December was at P120 per kilo. — Reicelene Joy N. Ignacio

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