LOCAL HOG INDUSTRY RAISES ALARM OVER MEAT IMPORTS EXCEEDING 1 MILLION TONS

The Philippines’ meat imports rose 11 percent year-on-year to 1.02 million metric tons (MT) from January to July, driven largely by higher pork shipments.

Data from the Bureau of Animal Industry showed pork accounted for 53 percent of total imports at 541,405 MT, while chicken imports also increased by nearly 15 percent to 335,669 MT.

The Pork Producers Federation of the Philippines warned that the surge in imports is putting additional pressure on local hog farmers, whose production is still recovering from African swine fever.

ProPork called for higher tariffs on imported pork and increased vaccination efforts against ASF to protect domestic producers while balancing supply with demand.

Brazil remained the country’s largest meat supplier during the period, providing 491,199 MT or 48 percent of total meat imports, followed by the United States, Australia, the Netherlands and Canada.

Source: PhilNews24 | August 27, 2026