Philippines Eyes Ban on Livestock Imports as Swine Fever Spreads

(Bloomberg) -- The Philippines is considering a five-month ban on the importation of livestock to protect the local industry from the African swine fever spreading across the region, Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel Piñol said.

The nation will also expand farm areas for corn and sorghum growers by 100,000 hectares each this year to boost feeds production for local hog and poultry raisers that could take advantage of the crisis to import to China.

Read how some of Vietnam’s growers are shifting to cows and ostriches

Key Insights

• Pinol estimates additional output of 600,000 metric tons or 9.1 billion pesos ($174 million) for corn and 400,000 metric tons or 6 billion pesos for sorghum with the expanded area.
• Agriculture Department also plans early distribution of seeds and fertilizers for corn and sorghum farmers, on top of proposal to import 300,000 MT of corn to meet rising feeds demand.
• In boosting agriculture sector, Philippines will put up four dairy farms to house 6,000 cows for an estimated 36 million liters of milk production worth 1.4 billion pesos and increase fish cages to produce 96,000 metric tons of fish, valued at 9.98 billion pesos.

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• Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez, who chairs the Cabinet’s economic cluster, said the farm sector must growth by at least 2% per year from a 0.8% expansion in 2018.
• The Deadly African Virus That’s Killing Asia’s Pigs: QuickTake

To contact the reporter on this story: Claire Jiao in Manila at cjiao5@bloomberg.net

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Cecilia Yap at cyap19@bloomberg.net, Clarissa Batino

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