Hog raisers seek immediate pork tariff hike as losses mount

The Agricultural Sector Alliance of the Philippines has urged President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to immediately raise tariffs on imported pork, saying local hog raisers continue to suffer losses amid high import volumes and falling farmgate prices.

AGAP party-list Rep. Nicanor Briones said farmgate prices in some areas have dropped to around ₱130 to ₱140 per kilo, while production costs reportedly reach ₱180 to ₱190 per kilo.

He estimated industry losses at around ₱250 million per day and called for pork tariffs to be restored to 30 percent for in-quota imports and 40 percent for out-quota imports.

Current tariff rates are 15 percent for in-quota pork and 25 percent for out-quota shipments. The Department of Agriculture has proposed raising these to 25 percent and 35 percent in 2027 before restoring the 30 percent and 40 percent rates in 2028.

Briones said there was no need to wait for the phased increase and urged Marcos to issue an executive order implementing the higher rates sooner.

He also called for authorities to examine whether safeguards under Republic Act 8800, or the Safeguard Measures Act, could be used to protect local producers.

The DA earlier said local hog production grew by six percent in the first half of 2026, but higher pork imports and inventories weighed on prices. Farmgate prices fell from ₱215 per kilo in June 2025 to ₱150 per kilo in August 2026, according to the department.

Industry groups have repeatedly pushed for higher tariffs, arguing that the lower rates introduced to stabilize supply after African swine fever are now hurting recovering local producers.