DA to import gilts for swine repopulation

MANILA, Philippines — The government is spending over P460 million to import nearly 3,000 gilts as part of its efforts to repopulate the domestic pig population decimated by African swine fever and boost pork supply.

The Department of Agriculture (DA) is allocating P461.62 million for the importation of purebred gilts to be  included in packages that will be distributed to eligible beneficiaries that include private farms, local government units and farmers cooperatives and associations.

Of the total budget, P405 million is allocated for the supply and delivery of 2,700 heads of imported purebred registered large white gilts. The remaining P56.62 million will be used for the importation of 298 heads of imported purebred registered berkshire gilts.

The DA has already invited prospective bidders for the procurement, with tenders scheduled to be opened on May 19.

The DA noted that the budget for the procurement and importation comes from the 2024 funds of the Swine Industry Recovery Project (SIRP) overseen by the Bureau of Animal Industry.

The P1.25-billion SIRP focuses on providing eligible beneficiaries with breeders to restart pig farming nationwide, complementing the gains of another DA program on hog industry dubbed as Integrated National Swine Production Initiatives for Recovery and Expansion or INSPIRE.

“SIRP is intended to offer extensive assistance to every tier of the swine production continuum, ranging from small-scale backyard farmers to large-scale commercial breeders,” the DA said.

The SIRP has four types of packages depending on the level and scale of the beneficiary.

There is the breeder base development package wherein a total of 27 breeder farms are expected to benefit and will receive the premium imported gilts that are being bid out by the DA. This package also includes training in breeding methodologies like artificial insemination and crossbreeding.

Another package is the comprehensive package for native and free-range pigs production, where the imported berkshire pigs are involved. The package is expected to help three nucleus farms, 10 multiplier farms and 150 production farms nationwide.

The native and free-range package seeks to diversify pig production and leverage niche market opportunities, according to the DA.

The other two packages under SIRP are a package on innovative finisher operation for small-hold farmers with a budget of nearly P244.51 million and a biologics and biosecurity package with an allocation of P348.14 million.

In March, Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. challenged the local swine industry to ramp up their production efforts by producing an additional two millions hogs annually to restore the country’s pig population to pre-ASF levels by 2028.

Tiu Laurel noted that ASF has reduced the country’s pig population by around six million since the first confirmed outbreak of the deadly pig disease in 2019.

““Before ASF, we had nearly 14 million hogs; now, we have eight million. This creates a six-million head deficit. With a growing population, demand is far higher than the previous 14 million,” Tiu Laurel said.

“My challenge to the industry is clear: we need to produce an additional two million hogs each year – through 2026, 2027 and 2028 – to return to pre-ASF levels…and that’s the minimum,” he added.

The country’s total swine inventory at the end of 2024 stood at 8.75 million heads, about 8.5 percent lower than the 9.57 million heads recorded in 2023, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority.