MLBA 10: August / September 2009

 

Philippines: Preparing for the pork import torrent

 

 

 

As a pork-eating nation, it is but natural that the Philip­pines should be sufficient in pork production. But for the last two years, imports have notably jumped. Figures from the National Veterinary Service of the Bureau of Animal Industry show that the country has imported 55.5 million tonnes tonnes of pork in 2006; 79.4 million tonnes in 2007; and 109.4 million tonnes in 2008.

 

According to the Department of Agriculture (DA), importation of pork and pork products will contin­ue as domestic production has failed to meet the demand. However, hog raisers howled in protest, griping that the flood of imported pork is "very bad" for the industry and in­stead urged the government to help their still recuperating business, which was battered by diseases for the past two years, from the twin blows of ebola virus and AH1N1 or previously known as swine flu that occurred earlier this year. However, the government maintains that im­ported pork does not compete with pork sold in retail markets, explain­ing that pork imports account only 6.86 percent of the total pork sup­ply in the country in 2008.

 

But the increasing number of im­ports can't help pundits to ask: Will the Philippines - currently ranked 15th biggest pork producer in the world - now become a pork import­er? While the answers remain to be seen, stakeholders can't help but fear that the vibrant PHP150-billion industry will unfortunately rely on imports if current problems are not immediately dealt with.

 

According to Dr. Jaime Abella Sison, technical director of Fore­most Farms, one of the country's biggest commercial hog farms, domestic swine production has decreased in 2007 to 2008 due to diseases like porcine epidemic di­arrhoea (PED) and porcine repro­ductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS) but demand continued

 

"Whenever domestic production fails to meet demand, the need to import is there. The requirements of local meat processors must also be satisfied. This is a reality that we can't afford to ignore," he said.