ASF fear on rainy season drive pork pushes prices lower - DA

The fear of a possible African swine fever (ASF) outbreak this rainy season has triggered hog raisers to panic sell, pushing pork prices lower, the Department of Agriculture (DA) said.

“Rather than risk getting hit by ASF, or having an outbreak occur next door, they want to sell everything before they are affected," said Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu-Laurel Jr. in a statement.

Tiu Laurel noted that hog prices in Mindanao dropped despite low pork import volumes. According to DA's investigation, the main cause for the price decline was local farmers hurriedly selling their hogs.

Philippine Statistics Authority data revealed that while second-quarter pork production grew by 5.6% to reach 412,280 metric tons, average farmgate prices dropped almost 19% year-on-year—falling from ₱211.91 to ₱172.44 per kilogram.

Meanwhile, the Bureau of Animal Industry forecasts full-year import volumes to contract by roughly 50,000 metric tons compared to 2025’s total of 851,760 metric tons. This decline is attributed to increased domestic output alongside substantial import stockpiling by food processors the previous year.

The DA is expecting that the government's approval of the commercial sale of a vaccine against ASF will encourage hog raisers to boost production and gradually reduce the need for imports.

Tiu Laurel added that local vaccine production could boost pork production as the government is also building the country’s first ASF vaccine manufacturing laboratory at Central Luzon State University, with completion expected next year. —Vince Angelo Ferreras/RF, GMA News