Hog Raisers, Suppliers Threaten to Stop Pork Delivery in NCR

If President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo does not stop massive importation and smuggling of pork and other meat products, the country's hog raisers and pork suppliers may stop their delivery to Metro Manila from five to seven days.

By GERRY ALBERT CORPUZ 
Bulatlat.com

The 5,500-strong Agricultural Sector Alliance of the Philippines (ASAP), National Federation of Hog Farmers and the Livestock Association of Pandi this week said importation and smuggling has severely affected the incomes of hog raisers, local meat producers and other people involved in domestic production.

Prices of locally raised hogs dropped by an average of P20 ($0.37, based on an exchange rate of P53.46 per US dollar) per kilo last year. In 2001, prices went down from P5 to P10 ($0.09 to $0.19) per kilo.

Substantial losses

ASAP President Nicanor Briones said the local swine industry incurred losses of P10.5 billion ($19.6 million) from June to December last year or an average loss of P1.5 billion ($2.8 million) per month due to importation and technical smuggling of pork.

He said the importation and smuggling of imported pork affected 80% of the country's hog raisers, mostly small or backyard raisers. "The anarchic importation of pork affected around 500,000 employees and workers in the swine industry and around 2.5 million people dependent on the swine and livestock industry," he said.

Briones said the volume of imported meat is currently growing at an alarming rate. "We would like to inform President Arroyo that imported products come from foot-and-mouth-disease-stricken countries," he said.

Miguelito Dizon, president of Livestock Association of Pandi, stressed that Bulacan hog raisers are losing over P300 million ($5.61 million) a month because of importation and widespread smuggling.

Last year, the country imported 158 million kilos of imported pork, beef and other livestock products, 20 million kilos higher compared to 2001. The country also imported around 43 million kilos of carabeef from India and other European countries.

On the other hand, the country produces some 18 million kilos of pork per year or about 1.5 million kilos per month. Dizon said most Filipino hog raisers and swine operators do not import pork from other countries.

“We produce mainly for Filipino consumers, but with this alarming trend, we don't know if our group could still survive with these problems on importation and smuggling that threaten our existence,” Briones added.

Local industry players said the massive importation and unresolved smuggling will soon kill the swine industry in the Philippines, which contributes P80 billion ($1.50 billion) to the country's  yearly gross domestic product (GDP).

Purchasing manager?

The three groups assailed Department of Agriculture (DA) Undersecretary Cesar Drilon for being silent on their issues and demands. They accused Drilon of acting as “purchasing manager and talent scout” for foreign agro-corporations and meat producers looking for accreditation from the Philippine government.

Aside from Drilon’s resignation, the groups also asked the Macapagal-Arroyo administration to revamp the DA and other attached agencies like the Bureau of Animal Industry, Livestock and Development Council and the National Meat and Inspection Commission.

The groups threatened to launch a major protest action on Feb. 14 if the government will not stop massive importation and smuggling of pork, meat and other livestock products. Hog raisers from Southern Tagalog, Central and Northern Luzon would join them in the planned protest action, they added. Bulatlat.com

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