Boosting the animal industry's competitiveness is good for the local economy

Animal products like chicken and pork form a big part of our basket of goods that affect inflation.

- #MINDANAO JOHN TRIA

Our population, despite slowing down in growth as I pointed out in my Aug. 5, 2025 column, still has a high demand for these two agricultural products. Rice and animal products are a vital part of the Filipino diet. Chicken is a major protein source, while pork is a protein and flavoring agent in many Filipino dishes.

In the Oct. 3, 2025 Manila Bulletin article by Dexter Barro, Republic Act 12308, or the Animal Industry Development and Competitiveness Act (AIDCA) establishes a key measure called the Animal Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (AnCef), which will have an annual budget of P20 billion sourced from the tariffs collected from imported pork products. Twenty-six percent of this amount is allocated to herd buildup and improvement of breeding centers. It allocates 70 percent for hogs, 20 percent for poultry, and the balance for other animals. It aspires to improve the volume of production while increasing competitiveness for animal farmers. The article also mentions that the Department of Agriculture will eventually roll out the African Swine Fever vaccine.