PIGPRODUCTIONIN THE PHILIPPINES RECOVERS ITS PORK PRODUCTION LITTLE BY LITTLE, AFTER ASF
Pork sector represents more than 50% of livestock activity in the Philippines.
Farrowing farm in the Philippines. Photo: Rotecna.
The Philippines has a long tradition of pork production and consumption. Its pork industry is an important business within the country’s agricultural sector, representing 55% of the total livestock industry. Although in 2019 the country’s pork sector suffered the impact of African swine fever (ASF) and significantly reduced its domestic production, in 2022 more than one million tons of pork were produced, initiating a process of recovery of the sector.
Current situation In 2021, the Philippines had a pig tally of 9.87 million, 12.4% less than in the previous year (2020), with 11.27 million. The pig count in both backyard and commercial farms decreased by 8.2% and 21.8%, respectively. This drop in production is one of the consequences of the ASF outbreaks that have affected the country. However, in 2022 the country began a recovery of its pig herd and by the end of the same year, it had just over 10 million heads. Of these, 21% 18
belonged to professional commercial farms, while 79% to small backyard family farms. On the other hand, until 2020, the Philippines produced about 85% of its domestic pork consumption, while the rest was imported. However, the reduction in consumption brought by the Covid-19 pandemic, with the consequent reduction in imports, and the impact of ASF, which came to the country in 2019, caused a sharp setback in 2020 as far as own production, which would have led to higher imports had it not been for the strict controls imposed by the Philippine government. All this also meant an important change in the structure of pig selfsufficiency in the Philippines, something that has begun to reverse in 2022. Currently, the Philippine pork sector focuses on meeting the fresh meat demands of the market, and only 15% of all production is destined for the processing sector. Imported pork is mainly intended for the processing sector, and not for retail.
