Manila: The Department of Agriculture (DA) announced on Friday its commitment to strike a careful balance between the interests of Filipino consumers and hog raisers concerning the minimum access volume (MAV) for pork imports. This assurance follows President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.'s directive for the agency to spearhead the drafting of the implementing rules and regulations (IRR) for Executive Order No. 116.

According to Philippines News Agency, DA Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. emphasized the importance of engaging in close consultations with hog raisers, meat processors, and lawmakers during the formulation of the IRR. The goal is to ensure that the concerns of local producers, who are already grappling with elevated prices of feed, fuel, and biosecurity, are adequately addressed. The IRR aims to protect consumers from high prices while ensuring the viability of local hog producers and honoring international trade commitments.

"The objective is to stabilize supply and prices without weakening the long-term competitiveness of the domestic swine industry," Tiu Laurel stated. Under Executive Order No. 116, the government has increased the pork import allocation to 204,210 metric tons, reflecting concerns over the tight domestic supply due to the prolonged impact of African swine fever.

The MAV management committee has been tasked with allocating 30,000 metric tons to meat processors and 120,000 metric tons to Food Terminal Inc. and the KADIWA ng Pangulo program. This allocation is intended to help augment supply and moderate retail prices, ensuring a steady and affordable supply of pork for consumers.