April 13, 2023

Philippines pork production to increase 5% in 2023

US-based Global Agricultural Information Network (GAIN) said pork production in the Philippines is expected to increase 5% to 975,000 metric tonnes (mt) this year, despite the spread of African swine fever (ASF) and the shift in demand to poultry, The Philippine Star reported.

While this is higher than last year's 925,000 mt, it is still lower than the 1 million mt output recorded in 2021 due to ASF, which has spread to the country's main pork supplier states such as Cebu and Maguindanao del Sur.

According to data from the Philippines' Department of Agriculture, the spread of ASF in the country has significantly decreased since the outbreak was first detected in 2019.

The Philippines' Department of Agriculture said there were ASF cases in four provinces and 20 barangays as of March 31. This represents a significant decrease from the previous high of 51 provinces and 3,657 barangays.

The GAIN report said Philippines' pork imports will likely fall to 525,000 mt in 2022 from 559,777 mt in 2022 due to higher international market prices on top of lower demand due to ASF.

It also said local pork belly prices have risen since the ASF outbreaks were detected in Cebu and Maguindanao del Sur in March.

The Department of Agriculture reported last month that pork product prices ranged between PHP 280 (~US$5.07; PHP 10 = US$0.18) and PHP 390 (~US$7.06) per kg. Prices rose to PHP 310 (~US$5.61) to PHP 420 (~US$7.60) per kg on Wednesday.

As Filipinos continue to be affected by ASF, which has killed at least 5 million swine since 2019, GAIN observed a shift in local consumer demand from pork to chicken.

-      The Philippine Inquirer