Local pork production to rise in 2022, says USDA

NO PORK HOLIDAY HERE Meat vendors in Commonwealth Market, Quezon City adhere to the price ceiling order of the government for pork products on Tuesday, February 9, 2021. Trade and Industry Secretary Ramon Lopez, Agriculture Secretary William Dar, MMDA Chairman Benjamin Abalos, Jr., and Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte visited the public market for an inspection. – INQUIRER/GRIG C. MONTEGRANDE

Domestic pork production is seen managing to rise next year as hog raisers scale up their repopulation efforts, despite the continued spread of the devastating African swine fever (ASF) and shortage of vaccines.

In a report, the US Department of Agriculture-Foreign Agricultural Service (USDA-FAS) estimated that the Philippines’ pork output in 2022 will rise by 25,000 metric tons to 1.025 million MT from 1 million MT.

This year, however, the USDA-FAS said pork production would stay at 1 million MT, in line with Philippine Statistics Authority’s latest data.

“Significant repopulation remains constrained, however, by continued ASF cases and the lack of a vaccine,” the USDA-FAS said.

“New ASF outbreaks, such as Cotabato in southern Philippines, will also dampen recovery efforts,” it added.

The USDA-FAS also said frozen pork inventory in accredited cold storage facilities has reached record high levels this year, peaking at 85,198 MT in mid-September.

Inventory levels, however, are expected to gradually go down as consumption rises with the Christmas holidays.

The DA-FAS likewise kept its 2022 pork import forecast of 375,000 MT, attributing it to current trade flows as well as the expiration of existing policies on minimum access volume (MAV) or in-quota for pork and tariffs in the coming year.