Philippine Agri Groups Urge President for Higher Tariffs to Protect Local Production

The Samahang Industriya ng Agrikultura (SINAG) said the government needs to restore tariff protections for rice, corn, pork, and chicken and is hoping President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. will adopt such policies in his fifth State of the Nation Address (SONA) on July 27. SINAG Executive Director Jayson H. Cainglet said in a statement: “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.” Mr. Cainglet also recommended the establishment of first border inspection and quarantine facilities at all major ports to ensure 100% inspection of all imported agricultural products. He also called for stronger biosecurity measures to protect against transboundary animal diseases and plant pests while ensuring food safety and safeguarding public health. Mr. Cainglet said that recent executive orders that reduced tariffs and expanded imports weakened the country’s capacity to produce its own food, disincentivized a production-based agricultural economy, and failed to address inflation and supply issues. “We recognize and support the efforts of the current Department of Agriculture. Years of neglect have left Philippine agriculture with enormous challenges, and rebuilding the sector is no small task,” Mr. Cainglet said. “Unfortunately, many of these efforts are being undermined by the continued push of the government’s economic managers to further liberalize agricultural trade through lower tariffs and greater imports,” he added. Mr. Cainglet said dependence on imports did not bring lasting price stability and instead weakened domestic production and investment in agriculture, while rendering the Philippines vulnerable to global supply disruptions and international price shocks. He added that imports need to be shipped in exclusively during genuine food shortages. “The future of Philippine agriculture depends on restoring confidence in our farmers, protecting local production, and ensuring that imports complement, rather than replace, our own capacity to feed the nation,” Mr. Cainglet said. “Government must stop giving disproportionate weight to the interests of traders and importers while local producers continue to bear the burden of unfair competition. A truly balanced agricultural policy must protect consumers while also safeguarding the livelihoods of farmers and ensuring the long-term viability of domestic food production,” he added. Citing data from the Philippine Statistics Authority and the Bureau of Animal Industry, Mr. Cainglet noted that pork imports rose 17% to 906 million kilograms in 2025, while those for chicken increased 14.3% to 545.68 million kilos. He also noted that 2026 pork imports amounted to 453.38 million kilos, with chicken imports hitting 291.49 million kilos, according to preliminary data as of June 30. Meanwhile, rice imports dropped 23.4% to 3.37 million metric tons (MMT) in 2025, with preliminary estimates for the year to date at 2.75 MMT as of June 30.