Philippines establish minimum price for pigs on the farm

The Department of Agriculture (DA) and local hog producers have agreed to establish a minimum price of P210 per kilo for live hogs at the farm, a measure aimed at rescuing the hog industry, which is facing increasing financial difficulties. Local producers, represented by the Samahang Industriya ng Agrikultura (SINAG), the National Federation of Hog Farmers (NFHFI), and the Federation of Pork Producers of the Philippines (PROPORK), warned that farm prices had plummeted to P150 to P180 per kilo—barely enough to cover production costs for both family and commercial producers. In addition to the minimum price, the Department of Agriculture (DA) and industry groups will recommend restoring the import tariff on pork to 40%, instead of the current 25% set by Executive Order 62. "The lower import tariffs encouraged excessive importation," warned Agriculture Secretary Francisco P. Tiu Laurel Jr. "This flooded the market, hurt local producers, and jeopardized both our food security and the ...