The Department of Agriculture (DA) and local hog producers have agreed to establish a minimum farmgate price of P210 per kilo for live hogs, a measure aimed at rescuing the struggling swine industry from mounting financial losses.
Local producers, represented by the Samahang Industriya ng Agrikultura (SINAG), National Federation of Hog Farmers Inc (NFHFI) and the Pork Producers Federation of the Philippines (PROPORK), warned that farmgate prices had plunged to P150 to P180 per kilo—barely enough to cover production costs for backyard and commercial raisers.
“Farmgate prices have fallen sharply, yet consumers haven’t felt any relief,” Agriculture Secretary Francisco P. Tiu Laurel Jr. said. “During my market visits, I’ve seen liempo still selling for around P400 a kilo.”
In addition to the price floor, the DA and industry groups will recommend restoring the pork import tariff to 40 percent from the current 25 percent under Executive Order 62.
“Lower import duties have encouraged over-importation,” Tiu Laurel warned. “This has flooded the market, squeezed local producers, and endangered both our food security and farmers’ livelihoods.”
“What is happening now to our local hograisers is similar to the predicament facing our rice farmers that is bearing the brunt of excessive imports. We thank the DA for heeding the call of the local hog industry to revert pork tariffs to its original rate,” said Jayson Cainglet, SINAG Executive Director
The DA also plans to reinstate a maximum suggested retail price (MSRP) for pork, with the level to be determined carefully to balance profitability across the supply chain and consumer protection.
The agency will likewise issue an administrative order to reclassify pork jowls, currently treated as offal, so they can be levied a higher tariff. Jowls, a cut popular in Korean barbecue (samgyupsal), have seen increasing demand from meat processors.
Secretary Tiu Laurel directed the Agribusiness and Marketing Assistance Service (AMAS) and the National Meat Inspection Service (NMIS) to intensify monitoring to ensure transparency and fair trade. Supermarkets must clearly label frozen meat products and avoid misrepresenting them as fresh, while retailers selling frozen items are required to maintain proper chillers and freezers.
These measures, the DA said, are intended to stabilize prices, protect local producers, and safeguard consumers amid persistent volatility in the pork market.
