DA mulls P210/kilo floor price for hogs

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Agriculture (DA) is studying a proposal to set a P210 per kilo floor price for live hogs to help raisers cope with falling farmgate prices.

Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. told The STAR the agency would ask industry buyers to adopt the floor price, stressing the DA lacks the legal authority to enforce such a policy.

“We don’t have the legal basis to implement this, but we will request maybe retailers,” he said.

During the National Swine Summit last week, hog industry stakeholders flagged the decline in farmgate prices of live hogs to between P120 and P150 per kilo, well below the typical breakeven threshold for hog raisers.

Hog raisers also called on the government to regulate buying prices, proposing a P210 per kilo floor price and stricter monitoring of imported pork entering the country.

Earlier, the DA said the decline in farmgate prices was driven by the industry’s rush to sell off their livestock amid fears of an African swine fever (ASF) outbreak.

“Rather than risk getting hit by ASF, or having an outbreak occur next door, they want to sell everything before they are affected,” Tiu Laurel said.

The statement also dismissed industry claims, stating that the decline in farmgate prices was caused by surging imports.

Pork meat imports totaled 541,405 metric tons in seven months a 10-percent increase from 490,825 same period in 2025, according to data from the Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI).

Tiu Laurel added that retail prices for pork should remain the same, if the buying price for live hogs is regulated.

According to the DA’s price monitoring, a kilo of local pork belly or liempo has a prevailing price of P380 as of Sept. 15.

Meanwhile, during the same swine industry meeting, stakeholders sought updates on the rollout of the ASF vaccine, raised concerns about biosecurity risks near breeder sows and called for state-subsidized access for low-income raisers.

The DA, through the BAI, announced earlier the commercial approval of the ASF AVAC live vaccines. The agency will also support backyard growers through government-led vaccination drives.

Producers also urged regulators to simplify inter-provincial shipping clearances, fast-track LGU zoning upgrades and invest in local cold chain and meat cutting facilities to reduce reliance on commercial importers.