Philippines to aggressively ramp up pork imports to tackle price rises
MANILA, Feb 9 (Reuters) – The Philippines plans to increase pork imports this year to roughly 400,000 tonnes, more than double the initial proposal, as it seeks to cover a domestic shortfall that has pushed market prices higher, its farm minister said on Tuesday.
A government advisory panel has endorsed the import volume for approval, which is much higher than the 162,000 tonnes planned earlier, Agriculture Secretary William Dar said in a briefing.
The Southeast Asian country, among the world’s biggest pork importers, is under increasing pressure to boost supply of the meat, a mainstay in the Filipino diet, after African swine fever outbreaks reduced hog inventories.
Philippine inflation hit a two-year high in January, partly due to higher pork prices.
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