The Philippine Congress has approved a USD 27.5 million budget for the Department of Agriculture’s (DA) swine repopulation program in 2026. This includes the planned purchase of 30,000 gilts to help farmers recover from African swine fever (ASF) and rebuild the country’s breeding stock.
Undersecretary for Livestock Dr Constante Palabrica said the breeders will help strengthen local production capacity and support slaughterhouse operations by ensuring a steady supply of locally raised hogs.
Meanwhile, the DA Livestock Group, including the International Training Center on Pig Husbandry, continues to lead efforts in swine education and capacity building.
Annual fund for livestock and poultry
The recently enacted Animal Industry Development and Competitiveness Act establishes the Animal Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (AnCEF). Starting this October, AnCEF will allocate USD 343.6 million annually from tariffs on imported animal products.
The fund supports the broader livestock and poultry sector through:
- ✅ Repopulation and breeder imports
- ✅ Disease control and animal welfare
- ✅ Feed support and credit assistance
- ✅ Processing facility upgrades and food safety services
- ✅ Research, marketing, and farmer accreditation
- ✅ Carabao and dairy herd build-up
Any excess tariff collections beyond USD 343.6 million will be used to provide financial support to livestock and poultry raisers.
Infrastructure and food safety investments
Dr Palabrica also stressed the need to modernize locally registered meat establishments. Many of these still butchers animals directly on the floor, a practice DA hopes to eliminate.
To improve hygiene and food safety, the government has allotted USD 1.72 million for 2026 and a similar amount for 2027 to establish meat laboratories nationwide. These will improve quality testing and ensure compliance with food safety regulations.
He said the livestock sector remains promising, backed by strong government support and new investments aimed at improving production and safety standards.