BY EVA C. VISPERAS
Curb pork imports to protect local producers
There is a familiar refrain echoing once again from the countryside: our farmers are struggling, and imports are flooding the market.
Last week, the Samahang Industriya ng Agrikultura (SINAG) renewed its call for government to curb pork imports, warning that excessive volumes are crushing local hog raisers just as they attempt to rebuild from years of losses.
SINAG chairman Rosendo So did not mince words. He pointed out that this year’s pork imports have reached 850,000 metric tons—far beyond what is necessary given existing supply—and urged government to reduce this to 550,000 metric tons.
The argument is simple: when the market is saturated with cheaper imported pork, local producers cannot compete.
Cold storage facilities, according to SINAG, are brimming with imported meat that traders are eager to offload. Imported dressed pork is reportedly selling at P80 to P100 per kilo, with choice cuts like kasim at around P120. Traders can resell at P150 and still turn a profit. Meanwhile, locally raised hogs are valued at about P165 per kilo live weight—roughly P206 per kilo after slaughter and dressing—barely enough to cover production costs, estimated at P180 per kilo live weight.
In plain terms, our farmers are losing money.
And when farmers lose money, they stop producing.
So drew a parallel to rice. When cheap foreign rice once inundated the market and local farmers suffered heavy losses, government responded by limiting rice imports. The same decisive action, he argued, should now apply to pork.
Industry data show that Philippine pork consumption last year stood at about 1.58 million metric tons, while local production was around 1.06 million metric tons—leaving a shortfall of roughly 520,000 metric tons. But imports in 2025 reached 851,760 metric tons, well beyond the gap. That excess, SINAG said, has created a carryover surplus that continues to depress prices.
It is not difficult to see the dilemma.
On one hand, government must ensure stable supply and affordable food prices for consumers. Pork is a staple on Filipino tables, and price spikes hit household budgets hard. On the other hand, unchecked imports weaken local agriculture, making us increasingly dependent on foreign supply.
Food security is not just about what is cheap today. It is about what we can sustainably produce tomorrow.
SINAG is also urging the restoration of higher tariff rates—returning to the previous 30 percent in-quota and 40 percent out-quota levels, instead of the reduced 15 percent and 25 percent introduced in 2021. While tariff adjustments may take time, reducing import volumes now could offer immediate relief to struggling hog raisers.
The bigger question is this: what kind of agricultural policy do we want?
If local farmers see no viable path to profitability, who will have the courage to repopulate their swine herds? Once production capacity is lost, rebuilding it will not be easy—or cheap.
Supporting local producers does not mean shutting the door to imports entirely. It means calibrating policy with foresight and fairness. It means balancing consumer protection with farmer survival.
Because when our farmers thrive, our food system becomes stronger. And when our food system is strong, the nation stands on firmer ground.