The government plans to increase the minimum allowed volume of pork imports to ensure that the supply of pork in the country is enough due to the effects of the African swine fever (ASF), the Department of Agriculture (DA) said Tuesday.
The DA said a pork supply deficit of almost 400,000 metric tons (MT) is expected this year.
“Itong projected pork supply situation for 2021. Ang supply lang dito po sa bansa to include iyong production natin plus beginning stock ay 1.2 million MT to 1.9 million MT,” Agriculture Secretary William Dar said during a Palace press briefing.
“Some sectors would give us 1.3 [million MT], iyon ang supply. Ang demand po ay 1.6 plus million metric tons. So may potential deficit ka na almost 400,000 metric tons. So iyon po, mayroon tayo talagang kakulangan within the year so kailangan po ito ay supply augmentation ang tawag,” he said.
With this, Dar said the minimum access volume (MAV) advisory council recommended increasing the MAV for pork from the current 54,000 MT to 388,790 MT.
DA: Gov’t to increase minimum pork imports to 400,000 MT
“May mga rekomendasyon kahapon na hindi lang po iyong mga traders ang mabigyan na tiyansa na aangkat, itong panahon na ito which is very short term within the year ay bigyan din ng panahon na mag-angkat iyong may gusto na hog raisers,” he said.
“Mayroon kaming iri-referendum na ngayon doon. May next step pa iyong MAV Management Committee. Anim na departments/Secretaries ang miyembro nito which the DA Secretary chairs kasama po si Sec. Mon Lopez na miyembro, DOF, DOST, Department of Agrarian Reform, so anim po ito. Mayroong referendum to be sent out today to recommend to the President finally itong MAV Plus,” he added.
But for Bayan Muna Representative Carlos Isagani Zarate, the Department of Agriculture’s plan to import pork and chicken products would kill the hogs and poultry industry.
Zarate said importation should be the last option when it comes to addressing the increase in prices of products.