Business · Philippines Bureau
Soccsksargen hog farmers urge DA to halt pork imports
Livestock producers in Region 12 are calling on the Department of Agriculture to suspend pork importation as they struggle with depressed farmgate prices and rising feed costs. The sector has seen at least 100 growers forced to liquidate breeding stock and exit the industry.
LSN Philippines ·
KORONADAL CITY, South Cotabato — Hog raisers across Soccsksargen on Thursday pressed the Department of Agriculture to impose a moratorium on pork imports, citing mounting financial pressures threatening the viability of local swine production.
Farmers in the region are grappling with a combination of challenges that have squeezed profit margins: depressed farmgate prices coupled with escalating feed costs. The cumulative effect has pushed vulnerable producers to make difficult decisions about their operations.
At least 100 hog growers have already liquidated their breeding herds and exited the industry amid the current economic strain on livestock farming. Regional producers argue that continued pork imports are undercutting domestic prices and worsening conditions for local farmers already operating on thin margins.
The appeal underscores persistent tensions between import liberalization policies and domestic agricultural interests in the Philippines. Soccsksargen, a major swine-producing region, has historically played a significant role in the country's pork supply chain.