Hog raisers in southern Negros Occidental are struggling as live pig prices fall to P150 per kilo, forcing many to delay sales just as the sugar milling season—usually a time of higher earnings—begins, with the decline mirroring recent drops in sugar and palay.
Noe Alonzagay, president of the Tabugon Swine and Sugarcane Workers Association (TSSWA) in Kabankalan City, told Brigada News Philippines that buyers now pay only P150 per kilo, down from P160 per kilo last year.
He said buyers further deduct P5 per kilo for pigs weighing below 80 kilos or above 100 kilos.
Alonzagay suspects fewer buyers from outside the province caused the price drop. “If we sell our hogs now, we will lose around P1,000 each,” he said, adding that many raisers are holding off sales until prices stabilize.
In his more than eight years in the business, he said, this is the lowest live pig price he has seen.
Alonzagay appealed to local and national authorities to intervene and help hog raisers, many of whom rely on this income to “support students and daily living expenses”.
Backyard hog raisers voiced concern, with Dreeza Gabines saying that raising pigs for three months now earns little profit as prices continue to fall, and she urged the national government to act on their situation.
Retail pork prices in southern Negros Occidental currently range from P300 to P340 per kilo.
As of press time, officials from the local agriculture office are being contacted for comment to explain the price decline.
Still recovering
Nearly two years after African swine fever (ASF) and hog cholera devastated the province, the Negros Occidental’s hog industry continues to rebuild toward pre-outbreak levels.
Provincial Veterinary Office (PVO) chief Placeda Lemana said in August that the province’s hog population now ranges from 250,000 to 300,000, a sharp drop from over 500,000 before the 2023 outbreaks.
The P6-billion swine industry lost nearly 18,000 hogs in 2023, causing around P200 million in damages and reducing production during the first half of 2024.
But now, Lemana said the PVO has not detected new ASF or hog cholera cases this year and continues to monitor farms, while hog shipments to Cebu, Samar, and Luzon have increased, showing signs of gradual recovery.*
Reymund Titong is a Filipino journalist steadily building his voice in the field of news reporting, driven by a commitment to tell meaningful and relevant stories.
He serves as a correspondent for Rappler, maintains a personal blog on Medium, and is the communications officer of Hope Builders Organization Negros Island.