LOW profit margins in hog raising brought about by high cost of production amid the low farmgate prices of live hogs continue to make the local swine industry a non-performer.

        The only way out of this depressing market situation is to export pork and pork cuts, says Tony Hernandez, president of the Bicol Hog Raisers Association, Inc. (BHRAI).

        Expectations in the country-wide swine industry are high that if the backyard raisers, who comprises more than 90 percent of the hog raisers in the Philippines, can exploit the potentials in the export market they will no longer be at the mercy of the hog traders.

        In the recently held first meeting of the Hog Export Board the conclusion reached was that “if the swine industry is to survive, it must export”.

        Experts in the industry have pointed out that pork consumption will triple in the next 20 years and the Philippines can benefit from this trend by going into the export of pork and pork cuts, especially, to the fast growing, mostly pork-loving Asian market. They also agreed in reminding the government that the viability of the domestic swine industry is being threatened by imports of pork and pork substitutes.

        Dr. Benjamin Albarece, consultant to the Hog Export Board, has said that for the Philippines to export, the Board must be able to speed up and take off. It must identify global trends, evaluate the constraints and difficulties that the industry faces, put up safety nets to stabilize prices, continue to eradicate foot and mouth diseases (FMD) and prepare numerous health, technical, production and other requisites to making the Philippines a net pork exporter.

        Meanwhile, Hernandez said hog raisers in the Bicol Region still enjoy the advantage of being FMD free and should consider this as a competitive edge over other regions in the country.

        He said the BHRAI has requested financial assistance from Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI) through the Camarines Sur Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CSCCI) to finance their livelihood hog raising project which involves the purchase of 124 breeder gilts (F1), feeds and biologics and livestock insurance. The breeder gilts will be distributed to four pilot towns in the province of Camarines Sur with one breeder gilt per member of the BHRAI. The pilot towns are: Pili, Ocampo, Libmanan and Minalabac.

        He said by improving the stock of breed of hogs in Bicol, the hog raisers will be able to assure the quality of pork and at the same time make the backyard raising more viable and profitable. The high quality pork and pork cuts can be exported to pork-loving Asian market, he said.

        He also claimed that local hog raisers cannot rely solely on the domestic market as prices in the local market have benefited only the viajeros or traders to the disadvantage of the backyard raisers.

        The more attractive options for local hog raisers are to directly sell pork to the consumers and to export pork to other Asian countries, he said.