British Chamber welcomes minimum access volume for pork, pushes talks on allocation

On May 19, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. issued Executive Order (EO) 116, mandating the increase of the minimum access volume (MAV) for pork under Republic Act No. 8178 or the Agricultural Tariffication Act.

The British Chamber of Commerce Philippines (BCCP) expressed its support for the increase to further assist in food security and manage inflationary pressures brought about by the war in the Middle East that impacted oil, fertilizer, and overall food prices, having consistently called for its increase as part of its broader UK-Philippine agricultural trade advocacy.

The EO recognized the challenge of the African Swine Fever that “reduced the national swine inventory, resulting in substantial supply shortfall and persistently elevated pork prices, thereby increasing food costs and adversely affecting consumers.”

The EO also aligns with the recently issued Executive Order No. 110, which declared the Philippines under a state of national energy emergency.

It also indicated an increase of 204,210 MT for MAV of pork meat for MAV Year 2026, with allocation of pork imports, including 120,000 MT for the Food Terminal Inc. or Kadiwa ng Pangulo program, while 30,000 MT is allocated for processors.

Nelson noted that the Chamber also remains open to further discussions regarding the allocation to ensure fair volume importation among key industry players. 

Previously, BCCP Executive Vice Chairman Chris Nelson has similarly noted that pork supply has been impacted by the spread of African Swine Fever (ASF), with recovery anticipated to be gradual due to the significant number of hogs affected by the virus.

The Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI) recorded a number of active cases in 5 regions, 6 provinces, 7 cities and 8 barangays as of 8 May 2026.

Due to the impact on supply, Nelson added that the revision of the MAV comes at an opportune time, considering the country’s population.

The MAV was issued in 1996, in which the Philippines stands at approximately 70 million in comparison to the estimated current population figures, which now stands at nearly 120 million.

Nelson also welcomed this development, identifying meat, particularly pork, as one of the key commodities in the UK-Philippines bilateral trade.

Since 2021, the Chamber has worked with the UK Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB) and facilitated a total of 8 trade missions, signaling market opportunities for pork, beef and lamb.

According to the AHDB, January to March figures of UK to Philippines pig meat exports recorded a 13.3% increase in tonnes at 5,310, as well as in value, which is up at 10.6% at £6.786 million. 

Nelson also recognized the consistent work with the relevant stakeholders, including meat importers, retailers, and government agencies, having met with the Members of the MAV Management Committee to raise concerns on MAV and identify other areas of cooperation to further advance the UK-Philippines agricultural trade.

He noted that, “We remain open to further discussions on the revised increase of MAV, which we have been supporting since 2023. We believe that an increase in MAV volume represents an important step toward strengthening the country’s food security efforts.”