The country’s livestock and poultry sectors are in dire straits, according to the latest farm production data for the January-to-March period, which was released by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) on May 10. For livestock, the biggest loser in terms of volume was the hogs sector, as output contracted by more than a quarter. What’s alarming is that other protein sources, such as chicken and round scad or galunggong, also recorded output declines in the first quarter.
PSA data indicated that some 146,000 metric tons were shaved off from hog production in the first quarter alone (See, “Q1 farm output down 3.3% on livestock, poultry woes,” in the BusinessMirror, May 11, 2021). This is the first time since 2019, when African swine fever first reached our shores, that quarterly hog production fell below 500,000 MT. The quarterly hog output still managed to breach the 500,000-MT mark last year, mainly due to mobility restrictions that reduced the risk of transmitting ASF (See, “Lockdown slowed spread of fatal hog disease–BAI,” in the BusinessMirror, June 22, 2020).
The drastic decline in output and the shortfall in fresh pork resulted in price spikes. Data from the PSA showed that the average farm-gate price of livestock rose by 44.4 percent, led by hogs, which rose by nearly 52 percent. For poultry, the average farm-gate price was higher by nearly 20 percent, led by duck and chicken, which went up by 26.4 percent and 33.8 percent, respectively. Most fish species also recorded hikes in farm-gate prices during the period.
The increase in the prices of alternative protein sources, such as chicken and fish, would make it more difficult for people to “eat healthy” as they would resort to consuming cheaper instant noodles and canned goods to reduce expenses. The inability of families to access healthy food items would hurt the children of those in the Bottom 30 the most. Higher prices of raw materials would also put additional pressure on the restaurant industry, which has been struggling to stay afloat in the face of quarantine restrictions that have prevented them from accepting dine-in customers.
Both the government and stakeholders must take decisive measures if they want to eliminate ASF. Government must set aside resources to indemnify and assist hog raisers in repopulating their farms and coordinate with stakeholders in implementing biosecurity measures. The government cannot succeed if it does not have the cooperation of hog raisers and traders, particularly in preventing the transportation of sick pigs, which can spread ASF in other areas.
Aside from the declaration of a state of calamity, government must now give due attention to the production of other protein sources, such as chicken and fish, to ease the pressure on pork prices. Policy-makers must push for the inclusion of spending on biosecurity measures as well as the indemnification of hog raisers in the national budget for next year. Strengthening the country’s border controls and improving biosecurity will allow the country to not only eliminate ASF, but also give the Philippines a fighting chance to ward off devastating animal diseases from other countries.