Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. has welcomed Charoen Pokphand Foods Philippines Corp.’s (CPF) plan to invest US$1 billion (about ₱59 billion) over five years to expand hog production and help restore the country’s swine population to pre-African swine fever (ASF) levels by 2028.
Tiu Laurel said the project supports President Marcos Jr.’s goal of a “zero-kilometer food system,” promoting local food production, job creation, and food security. He also encouraged CPF to locate some facilities near major tourist areas to help lower food costs.
Under the plan, CPF will build nine agro-industrial complexes nationwide, each costing about US$125 million and covering around 20 hectares. Each site will include feed mills and hog processing plants, with feed mills expected to produce 10,000 tons per month, supported by corn from 5,000 hectares of farmland.
CPF targets to expand hog production from 1.3 million heads to 7 million by 2030, with 4.8 million in Luzon, 1 million in the Visayas, and 1.2 million in Mindanao.
The country’s hog population dropped from 13 million to 8 million after ASF hit in 2019. The Department of Agriculture (DA) aims to restore numbers within three years through vaccination and distribution of breeder pigs.
The expansion aligns with the newly signed Animal Industry Development and Competitiveness Act, which provides ₱20 billion annually for livestock, poultry, and dairy development—nearly one-fifth of which will go to hog repopulation.
Officials said CPF’s investment will modernize farms, stabilize pork supply, and strengthen disease resilience—marking a major step toward the DA’s partnership-driven strategy for long-term growth in the hog industry.
