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July 13, 2010
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Philippine hog output seen to drop
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Philippine hog production is expected to dip by 3% this year due to the lingering impact of damage to commercial and backyard farms caused by storms that hit late last year, an industry leader said.
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The government, on the other hand, expects at least 1% growth this year, citing the recovery of some backyard farms from storm damage.
Pork Producers Federation of the Philippines, Inc. president Albert R. T. Lim, Jr. explained that both commercial and backyard farms that sustained storm damage have not totally recovered.
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Lim said the farms still need additional support from the government, especially for backyard farms, noting that about 70% of the swine population is raised in backyard farms.
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However, in contrast, Livestock Development Council interim director Felix G. Valenzuela expects the industry to grow by at least 1% because of an expected recovery of backyard farms.
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Even though there is a projected shortfall in production, Lim said current supply should be enough to meet local demand because of a shortfall in demand felt by the sector this year.
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"There is also a shortfall in demand for pork, which is a good thing due to the shortfall in our production. Supply is sufficient for the local demand and we won't be needing any imports at present," Lim said.
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Hog production slightly increased by 0.35% to 455,480 tonnes in the first quarter from 453,890 tonnes in the same period last year, data from the Bureau of Agricultural Statistics (BAS) show.
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The nearly flat performance was due to lower stocks of fatteners and tight supply of piglets in the Cagayan Valley, Central Luzon and Calabarzon regions, BAS said.
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Hog production inched up by 1.07% to 1.88 million tonnes in 2009 from 1.86 million tonnes the previous year, BAS said. But 2008 actually saw a production drop of 1.6%, a decline the government attributed to mortality due to hog cholera.
