THE Samahang Industriya ng Agrikultura (Sinag) on Wednesday continued pressing the government to immediately increase pork import tariffs, warning anew that falling farmgate prices and rising production costs threaten the survival of local hog raisers.
In an Oct. 12 letter to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., the farmers’ group said farmgate hog prices had dropped to P90-P120 per kilogram (kg) while feed and other production costs keep rising.Sinag chairman Rosendo So said hog raisers were losing P50-P90/kg, prompting some to consider leaving the industry. The group noted that farms are closing, investments being wiped out and livelihoods built over generations are at risk.“We cannot wait another day for tariff restoration. The local hog industry is already in crisis,” So said.Sinag asked the government to restore pork tariffs to 30 percent for imports within the minimum access volume quota, and 40 percent for shipments outside the quota. It also sought a temporary suspension of pork imports until local market conditions stabilize.The letter to Marcos included a joint manifesto signed by Sinag and other hog industry and agricultural groups supporting the immediate tariff increase.Sinag executive director Jayson Cainglet said the issue went beyond import policy to the survival of farms and the country’s capacity to produce its own food.“It is about whether Filipino producers can continue to make a living, whether their farms can survive,” he pointed out.The Department of Agriculture recently proposed a phased increase, for tariffs to rise in 2027 by 10 percentage points to 25 percent for in-quota imports and 35 percent for out-of-quota shipments, from 15 percent and 25 percent, respectively. Rates would return to 30 percent and 40 percent in 2028.Bureau of Animal Industry data showed meat imports reached 1.14 billion kg from January to August. Pork accounted for more than half at 602.65 million kg, up 5.18 percent from 573.09 million kg a year earlier.
