July 23, 2026
 

Philippine agri group calls for tariff restoration ahead of Marcos SONA as pork and chicken imports surge

SINAG is urging President Marcos to use his 27 July State of the Nation Address to reverse trade liberalisation measures it says have undercut domestic livestock and grain production.

The Samahang Industriya ng Agrikultura (SINAG) has called on the Philippine government to restore tariff protections for rice, corn, pork and chicken, warning that recent executive orders reducing import duties have weakened domestic production capacity without delivering lasting price stability.

SINAG Executive Director Jayson Cainglet said pork imports rose 17% to 906 million kilogrammes in 2025, while chicken imports increased 14.3% to 545.68 million kilogrammes. Preliminary data to 30 June 2026 showed pork imports at 453.38 million kilogrammes and chicken imports at 291.49 million kilogrammes for the year to date. Rice imports, by contrast, fell 23.4% to 3.37 million metric tonnes in 2025, with year-to-date volumes at 2.75 million metric tonnes as of the same date.

"Fair and reasonable tariff protection remains one of the government's most effective tools for safeguarding local producers, encouraging domestic investment, and strengthening national food security," Cainglet said. He added that dependence on imports had rendered the Philippines vulnerable to global supply disruptions and international price shocks, and called for imports to be permitted only during genuine food shortages.

Cainglet also called for the establishment of border inspection and quarantine facilities at all major ports to ensure full inspection of imported agricultural products, alongside stronger biosecurity measures to guard against transboundary animal diseases and plant pests.

He acknowledged the challenges facing the Department of Agriculture but said ongoing pressure from economic managers to further liberalise agricultural trade was undermining sectoral recovery efforts. "Government must stop giving disproportionate weight to the interests of traders and importers while local producers continue to bear the burden of unfair competition," Cainglet said.

- BusinessWorld