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Stakeholders of the agriculture sector said yesterday that increased government subsidy and heightened measures against smuggling will ensure that farmers continue to earn amid global price increases.
Rep. Nicanor Briones of the Partylist group, Agricultural Sector Alliance of the Philippines (Agap), said local farmers should be encouraged to produce more to ensure food security in the country.
“Bottom line is for farmers to earn and for them to be assured that they will be protected even with importation (such as rice) going around,” Briones told reporters on the sidelines of the 17th Hog Convention and Trade Exhibits at the Cebu International Convention Center (CICC).
More than 2, 000 hog raisers and farmers gathered yesterday to share best practices and inform government of their needs to increase hog production.
Briones said that aside from bringing in hog diseases, smuggling also disables the capability of farmers, specifically backyard farmers or those who grow hogs in their home, to earn more.
“Backyard farmers are losing income. They are selling below production cost. Instead of P80 to P81 per kilo (live weight cost), they were only selling at P70 per kilo,” he said.
Briones said Agap has signed a memorandum of agreement with the Presidential Anti-Smuggling Group to deputize 35 farmer representatives to inspect cold storage facilities.
He said they will be closely monitoring five ports in Manila, Subic (Pampanga), Cebu and Batangas.
Albert Lim, president of National Federation of Hog Farmers Inc. (NFHFI), said assistance to backyard farmers should be given priority as the sector constitute 70 percent of the country's meat suppliers in Cebu.
Only 30 percent are commercial hog raisers.
To help these farmers, Department of Agriculture (DA) Undersecretary Jesus Emmanuel Paras said they have initially allocated P70 million of piglet and feed subsidy.
Paras said P50 million will be spent for piglet subsidy, while P20 will go to feed assistance.
He said the agency is still working on distribution mechanisms and hopes to implement this within the year.
Paras said this project will be in partnership with local government units and backyard farmers themselves.
In a separate interview, former DA undersecretary Ernesto Ordoñez urged the government to prioritize the agriculture sector.
Ordoñez also encouraged hog growers to create a masterplan to ensure sufficient hog production.
“Do not let what happened to rice, happen to hogs. Sharpen your saw, equip yourselves in the middle of this global crisis,” he said.
Daviño Catbagan, executive director of the Bureau of Animal Industry, said high prices of production inputs such soya, corn and feeds among others have given rise to increase in pork prices.
Catbagan said tight hog supply is still expected until June as farms in Region 3 and 4A continue to recover after being hit by hog diseases.
High prices are commonly felt by provinces, which are net importer of pork. Cebu, for instance, imports 60 percent of its pork supply from General Santos, Iloilo and Capiz.
Prices of pork in public markets are between P140 to P170 per kilo.
