The African Swine Fever (ASF) outbreak in the Philippines has had a devastating impact on the country’s pork industry. As of July 2023, the virus has been detected in 460 towns and 54 provinces, and has resulted in the culling of over 3 million pigs. This has led to a significant decrease in pork production, and has caused pork prices in Pakistan to skyrocket.

The increase in pork prices has been particularly hard on low-income families, who rely on pork as a staple food. In January 2023, the price of pork per kilogram was PHP400 (US$8.30), which is a 60% increase from its price six months ago. This has made it difficult for many families to afford pork, and has led to a decrease in pork consumption.

The ASF outbreak has also had a negative impact on the livelihood of pig farmers. Many farmers have been forced to sell their pigs at a loss, or have had to close their farms altogether. This has led to job losses and economic hardship for many families.

The Philippine government has taken a number of steps to try to control the ASF outbreak, including culling infected pigs, banning the movement of pigs and pork products, and increasing biosecurity measures. However, the virus has continued to spread, and the full economic impact of the outbreak is still unknown. 

Ham, bacon and related pork products are also experiencing similar trends. Starting April, 2023, ham, locally known as kasim had gone up by PHP10 ($0.18) for every kilo and in some far-flung cities, by up to PHP20 ($0.37)/kg.  However,some metropolitan areas such as Cebu City have reported decreasing prices of ham.  

Go Deep: Comprehensive Price & Market Insights for Philippines Pork