Fear of culling, imports dampen hog production

THE testing requirements attached to receiving the African Swine Fever (ASF) vaccine and increased pork imports likely stalled hog farmers' repopulation efforts, according to an industry representative.

- By Kyle Aristophere T. Atienza

"I think this is still a result of the ASF episode last year. A lot of backyard farmers and commercial farmers are still hesitant to repopulate," National Federation of Hog Farmers, Inc. vice-chairman Alfred Ng told Business World.

"The news on record pork imports during the first quarter of the year further added to their anxiety," he added.

Mr. Ng noted that many hog farmers were reluctant to participate in the pilot test of an ASF vaccine "due to numerous testing procedures" that the Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI) is requiring them.

"If tested positive, their animals will once again be culled," he said.

Hog production in the first quarter fell 3.7% year on year to 403.79 thousand metric tons on a liveweight basis.

The Philippines imported 70.45 million kilograms of pork in the January-March period, up 42.5% from year earlier.

This total accounted for 53.2% of all meat that entered the country in the quarter.