SEN. Francis Pangilinan expressed his support for hog raisers’ call for higher farmgate prices and tighter controls on pork imports.
This comes as a group of local hog raisers urged President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and the Department of Agriculture to raise the farmgate price of liveweight hogs to P210 per kilo and increase tariffs on imported pork.
Pangilinan, who chairs the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Food, and Agrarian Reform, said the government should protect local producers from unsustainable prices while keeping pork affordable for consumers.
“We fully support the call of our hog raisers to raise the farmgate price. It is unfair that they spend so much to raise pigs but receive such a low selling price,” Pangilinan said in a statement.
“If hog raisers operate at a loss, they will eventually stop. If piggeries close and local production declines, imports will increase further and pork products will become even more expensive. That is why the fight for a fair farmgate price is also a fight for food security,” he added.
Reports indicate that farmgate prices for liveweight hogs have fallen to as low as P120 to P160 per kilo in some areas.
Pangilinan said such prices are insufficient to cover production costs and could force some hog raisers to scale down or shut down their operations altogether.
The senator, who has advocated for the agriculture and fisheries sectors for more than a decade, called for a review of policies governing pork tariffs and imports.
“Imports helped when supply was limited because of African swine fever. But now that the local industry is gradually recovering, we must ensure that the volume and price of imported pork do not undermine the livelihood of our local hog raisers,” he said.
Pangilinan likewise backed calls for tighter management of pork imports, saying import volumes should be carefully calibrated against domestic production and demand.
“What we need is balance: a fair price for hog raisers and an affordable price for consumers. We do not have to choose between producers and consumers. With the right policies on production, imports, and marketing, we can protect both,” he said.
However, he stressed that managing imports should not be used to justify keeping retail prices high. He urged the government to monitor the entire pork supply chain.
“What we want is fairness for producers and affordability for consumers. If farmgate prices are falling but market prices are not, there is a problem in the supply chain that needs to be examined. Hog raisers should not always be the ones bearing the burden of low prices while consumers continue to pay high prices,” he said.
