Hontiveros warns: Wide-scale importation of pork will push local hog industry further down Senator warns gov't-backed pork imports may leave thousands of families without livelihood longer than necessary

Senator Risa Hontiveros today warned that government's decision to drive up importation of pork products will only worsen, not solve the country's pork crisis, as this will likely push further down the already-struggling local hog industry.

"Naiintindihan natin na gusto ng pamahalaan na akysunan ang mataas na presyo ng baboy sa merkado. Pero hindi kumpletong solusyon sa problemang ito ang magbuhos ng imported na baboy sa bansa," Hontiveros said.

"Sino'ng local farmers ang magpaparami pa ng alagang baboy at magpapadami ng produksyon kung lalamunin lang sila ng imported na karne?" she asked.

The statement came after the National Economic Development Authority (NEDA) announced that the Cabinet-level Committee on Tariff and Related Matters (CTRM) will recommend to Malacanang the temporary lowering of tariff rates for imported pork products. The move will lower tariff rates on pork from 30 percent to as low as 5-10 percent for minimum access volume (MAV) imports, or imports weighing 54,000 metric tons, while shipments exceeding the MAV may see a reduced tariff rate of 15-20 percent from the existing 40 percent.

"It is clear that local hog farmers, who are dealing with the African Swine Fever, higher transportation costs and reduced income due to price ceilings, will not be able to compete with imported pork suppliers who will be enjoying tariff discounts," Hontiveros said.

Hontiveros then pointed out that the local hog industry is composed mostly of tens of thousands of middle and lower-class Filipinos, whose daily livelihood will "greatly suffer" from the government's decision to shift to imported pork: "Tinatayang 63 percent ng local hog industry ay small-scale operators o mga pamilyang nagpapalaki ng baboy sa kanilang bakuran. Huwag naman natin hayaan na magdusa sila dahil sa ganitong polisiya," Hontiveros said.

Hontiveros instead urged the Department of Agriculture (DA) to maintain the import tariff rates and use the proceeds to support the industry. She added that the price control on imported frozen meats in grocery stores must also be retained and tightened.

"DA may seem to have lost confidence in its efforts to contain the effects of ASF on farmers dahil mukhang hindi napagbigyan ang proposal na insurance para sa hog raisers. But they should not give up just yet," she said.

"Bakit hindi nila isulong na paramihin ang imports nang hindi binababaan ang taripa, gaya ng nauna nang ipinanukala? Ang kikitain mula sa taripa sa imports ay gagamitin para tulungan ang ating mga magbababoy. Dapat pag-igtingin din ang price control sa imported frozen meats na karaniwang mabibili sa grocery stores. Ang SRP o suggested retail price naman ay gamitin para makabawi ng kapital at pang-insurance ang ating mga hog raisers na magsusupply ng bagong katay na karne sa mga palengke. Maraming paraan at kung gusto, maipupush ito," she added.

"Anumang banta sa kabuhayan ng local food producers natin, ay banta rin sa milyon-milyong Pilipino na umaasa sa kanilang ani o produkto. We must do everything to support them," she concluded.