THE Samahang Industriya ng Agrikultura (Sinag) on Wednesday defended its call for higher pork import tariffs and a temporary halt to imports, saying an oversupply had pushed farmgate prices below production costs and threatened the livelihoods of Filipino hog raisers.
The farmers’ group was responding to concerns raised by the British Chamber of Commerce Philippines (BCCP) that higher tariffs and a two-month suspension of pork imports proposed by the Department of Agriculture could tighten food supply at a time of rising prices.
Sinag Chairman Rosendo So said two years of high import volumes under reduced tariffs had pushed farmgate prices down to P90–P120 per kilogram (kg). He said hog raisers were losing P50–P90/kg or P5,000–P9,000 per hog.
“Many are considering leaving the industry altogether. Farms are closing, investments are being wiped out, and livelihoods built over generations are at risk,” So pointed out.
Consumers had seen little relief since retail pork prices remained high despite the drop in farmgate prices, So said, expressing concern that growing dependence on imported pork as local farms close would leave the country more exposed to global price swings, supply disruptions and export restrictions.
Sinag urged the government to immediately restore pork import tariffs to 30 percent for shipments within the import quota, and 40 percent for shipments above it. The group also pushed to suspend pork imports until the local hog industry recovers.
BCCP Executive Vice Chairman Chris Nelson said the government should consider the effect of the proposed measures on food supply and prices.
“If inflation is an issue, you need to have food supply,” Nelson told reporters.
Philippine Statistics Authority data showed that headline inflation rose to 7.2 percent in September from 6.1 percent in August.
Food inflation reached 6.8 percent in September, up from 0.8 percent a year earlier.
