Charoen Pokphand Foods Philippines Corp. (CPF) is investing $1 billion over the next five years to expand hog production and help restore the country’s swine population to pre–African Swine Fever (ASF) levels by 2028.
The Department of Agriculture welcomed the investment, saying the initiative aligns with President Marcos Jr.’s vision of a zero-kilometer food system.
“This CPF expansion aligns perfectly with President Marcos Jr.’s vision of producing food where it’s needed, and advancing agricultural investment to create jobs and ensure food security,” said Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr.
He also encouraged CPF to consider situating some facilities near major tourist hubs to help ease food costs.
Based on the plan presented by CPF executive vice president Sakol Cheewakoset in a recent meeting with the DA, the company is evaluating nine sites nationwide for agro-industrial complexes, each spanning about 20 hectares.
Each complex will include feed production and hog processing facilities, with an estimated cost of $125 million per site.
Feed plants are projected to produce 10,000 tons per month, requiring corn supply from roughly 5,000 hectares.
CPF said it aims to raise its hog production capacity from 1.3 million heads to 7 million by 2030. Of this, 4.8 million is expected to add to Luzon’s capacity, 1 million in the Visayasand 1.2 million in Mindanao.
The national swine population has dropped from 13 million to around 8 million heads since the first ASF outbreak in 2019.
The Department of Agriculture is implementing a repopulation plan that includes ASF vaccination and breeder distribution to restore the herd within three years.
President Marcos recently signed the Animal Industry Development and Competitiveness Act, which allocates around P20 billion annually over the next decade to develop the livestock, poultry and dairy sectors, with nearly a fifth of the fund dedicated to hog repopulation.
