May 25, 2007

Philippine hog production seen to reach 1.905 million tonnes in 2007

The Department of Agriculture (DA) expects hog production to grow 3.5 percent or 1.905 million tonnes this year as meat exports to Singapore, the US, Russia, Japan and other Asian countries are likely to increase, Agriculture Secretary Arthur Yap said.

The Philippine Daily Inquirer reported that the hog sector posted 1.84 million tonnes in 2006.

Aside from frozen meat, the agriculture department expects several processed meat items to start gaining its foothold in the global market this year as the Philippines moves closer to being declared totally free of foot-and-mouth disease by the Office Internationale des Epizooties (OIE), or Animal Health Organization.

The processed meat items include luncheon meat, pork and beans, "lechon paksiw" pork "adobo", "sisig", "chili con carne and" "bistik tagalog."

He added aside from Singapore, the DA is also targeting Japan, the world's top meat importer, which imported a total of 1.32 million tonnes of meat in 2005.

He said the department would also help meat exporters break into the markets in the US, Russia, Mexico, Hong Kong, South Korea, Taiwan and the European Union.

Yap said that every tonne increase in value of hog production was equivalent to P68,750 (US$1,488), while every tonne increase in rice production, before milling, was equivalent to only P10,000 (US$216).

In 2006, hog production contributed 14.26 percent of the total value of agriculture, ranking second to rice (before milling), which contributed 18 percent.

It contributed about 39 percent of the total livestock production, with gross output value pegged at P126.5 billion (US$2.73 million) last year.