April 18, 2020

Philippines sees pork shortage by yearend due to ASF

Due to the African swine fever, the Philippines is forecasting an insufficiency in its pork supply by the end of the year.

"The country's pork supply remains a challenge," Agriculture Secretary William Dar said. A deficit of about 121,000 tonnes is projected by end-2020 due to a 21% contraction in production, he said.

The government is looking to inject funds to a programme that will boost swine production, seeking to intensify hog raising in areas free of swine fever.

Meanwhile, chicken supply is expected to surpass the annual requirement of 1.3 million tonnes, giving the Philippine a January 2021 inventory that is good for 157 days.