PH pork production expected to dip —USDA

The Philippines is expected to produce less pork than initially projected on the back of the continuous impact of African swine fever (ASF), based on a recent report by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).

According to the USDA report, its Foreign Agriculture Service (FAS) Manila has lowered the Philippine pork production projection to 925,000 metric tons (MT) from the previous forecast of 975,000 MT.

The report cited the continued spread of ASF into new provinces within the central and western Visayas regions, including Negros Occidental, Negros Oriental, and Aklan, not accounting for earlier outbreaks in major producing provinces such as Iloilo and Cebu.

Central Visayas accounted for 40.541 million MT of pork production in the first quarter of the year, while Western Visayas with 37.016 million MT, both posting increases from the same period in 2022.

"In 2022, the Central and Western Visayas regions had become the first and third-largest producers following the decimation of swine inventories elsewhere in the country," the USDA said.

"Prospects of an ASF vaccine have recently improved following reports of successful trials, but in even a best-case scenario, such a vaccine would be unlikely to materially impact 2023 production," it added.

The Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI) earlier this month said that the vaccine against ASF has been proven effective based on clinical trials in six farms in Luzon.

ASF has so far been recorded in all regions across the country except Metro Manila which has no hog raisers. The Department of Agriculture (DA), however, has clarified that not all barangays or municipalities have been hit.

GMA News Online has reached out to the DA for comment on the latest projections but it has yet to reply as of posting time. 

Data from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) showed that the value of hog production in the country stood at P48.563 billion in the first quarter of the year, down from P59.786 billion in the same quarter last year. —VAL, GMA Integrated News