MANILA, Philippines — Warning that continuous trade concessions could cripple local livestock production, an influential government advisory council has urged the state to draw a firm line against foreign trade lobbies. The Philippine Council for Agriculture and Fisheries (PCAF) has formally adopted a resolution pressuring the Department of Agriculture (DA) to oppose any further tariff cuts on pork and poultry imports.
The policy push highlights a growing clash between international free trade negotiations and the survival of domestic farms.
The immediate cause for the council’s defensive stance stems from ongoing Free Trade Agreement (FTA) negotiations between the Philippine government and the European Union (EU):
[Brazil Dominates Local Imports] ──► Holds 48.8% Control of Foreign Pork Shipments (Jan-Feb 2026)
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▼ (The Trade Rivalry Pivot)
[EU Pushes for Lower Tariffs] ◄── Seeks Re-negotiated Duties to Compete with Brazil's Shares
According to data compiled by the Bureau of Animal Industry, Brazil remains the dominant foreign supplier of meat to the Philippines, controlling nearly half the market. In response, EU member states—which hold much smaller fragmented shares like Spain (7.6 percent) and Denmark (3.6 percent)—are actively lobbying for lower import duties to gain a competitive edge. Local producers warn that giving in to these demands would trigger a devastating domino effect across future trade pacts, such as the upcoming FTA talks with Canada.
Representing the private sector, National Federation of Hog Farmers Inc. Vice Chair Alfred Ng emphasized that further lowering import barriers beyond existing frameworks under Executive Order No. 62 is profoundly unfair to domestic raisers who are already selling livestock at a loss:
[ LIVESTOCK COST VS. REVENUE SQUEEZE ]
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┌──────────────────────────────────┴──────────────────────────────────┐
▼ ▼
[ THE REVENUE CRATER ] [ THE surged FEED OVERHEADS ]
• Current farmgate liveweight prices have plummeted into a • Global logistics disruptions and high fertilizer costs
low **₱180 to 185 per kilogram** range. have driven imported feed costs up by **35 to 40 percent**.
• These prices sit critically below actual local production • Key raw inputs like corn, soya, coconut oil, and rice bran
costs, forcing independent farms to absorb heavy losses. remain heavily exposed to inflated transportation costs.
As the official policymaking and participatory arm of the DA, PCAF operates as a vital strategic shield for the agricultural sector. The council’s newly passed resolution provides Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. with necessary institutional leverage to push back against aggressive trade liberalization panels.
Industry groups maintain that while temporary supply augmentations are occasionally needed to curb local consumer inflation during disease spikes, permanently slicing baseline tariffs to please international trade blocs will permanently undermine national food security—ultimately driving local poultry and hog raisers completely out of business.
