Pork producers group: 30% of backyard hog raisers to stop ops

Pork Producers Federation of the Philippines Inc. (ProPork) said Saturday that about 30% of backyard hog raisers will cease to operate due to losses amid the influx of imported pork products that are driving down farm-gate prices.

Interviewed on Dobol B TV, ProPork chairman Nicanor Briones said that the local hog industry is reeling from the falling farm-gate prices as the price of live hogs currently range at P150 per kilo.

“Ang ating lokal na magbababoy ay lugi na kasi naging P150 (per kilo) na lang ang farm-gate price dala ng sobrang importasyon,” Briones said.

(Our local hog raisers are already losing as farm-gate price has fallen to P150 due to the influx of imports.)

In a bid to reduce retail prices of pork due to supply constraints caused by the African Swine Fever, the government hiked the minimum access volume for imported pork, and at the same time reduced import tariffs.  

“Talaga namang bumabaha, napakamura, walang taripa, mababa, so bumagsak ang kabuhayan ng magbababoy sa buong bansa,” Briones said.

(Imports are flooding, cheap, and low tariff that’s why the local hog industry is breaking down.)

Thus, the industry leader said that about 30% of backyard hog raisers might stop their operations.

“Dahil nalulugi na ang backyard hog raiser, definitely, marami ang titigil…  hindi na mag-aalaga, hindi na bibili ng biik dahil ngayon pa lang nalulugi na,” he said.

(Because our hog raisers are losing, definitely, many will stop… they will no longer raise pigs, they will no longer buy suckling because they are already losing money.)

Briones said that about 73 million kilos of imported pork are in cold storages.

“Ibig sabihin n’yan ang intensiyon ng ating pamahalaan, imbes na tulungan ang mga magsasaka tulad ng magbababoy ay talagang pinapatay,” he said.

(That means the intention of the government, instead of helping our hog raisers, is to kill the industry.) —LBG, GMA News