Kidapawan vendors decry imported meat influx
KIDAPAWAN CITY, NORTH COTABATO, Philippines — The influx of imported meat into supermarkets and malls in Kidapawan City, North Cotabato, is hurting the local hog and meat industry, a meat vendors’ association said on Monday.
Speaking during a city council session, Narcisa Carbon, president of the Kidapawan Mega Market Meat Vendors Association, said most of the imported meat entering the city came from the Davao region.
At least 45,000 kilograms of imported pork products have entered the city monthly in recent months, with suppliers delivering them directly to restaurants, supermarkets and malls, she said.
“We are affected by this because our sales dwindled since most of the owners of big restaurants and malls prefer imported meat over our local produce,” Carbon told the city council.
Imported pork is being sold at P250 per kilogram, cheaper than the P300 per kilogram price of local meat at the city’s mega market, she said.
READ: DA pushes higher tariffs on select meat products
Carbon said vendors who used to butcher three pigs every other day now butcher only one, which is shared by two vendors, because of the competition from imported meat.
“We share one hog just to have a supply in the mega market,” Carbon said.
READ: Increasing pork import quotas may create unfair competition – industry groups
EO 116
Carbon blamed Executive Order No. 116, signed by President Marcos in May, for the difficulties now faced by local meat vendors.
The order increased the 2026 pork importation volume from 54,210 metric tons (MT) to 204,184 MT to augment pork supplies in the market amid shortages caused by the African swine fever outbreak, which has affected hog production in several parts of the country.
Carbon urged city councilors to pass an ordinance banning the entry of imported meat into Kidapawan.
Councilor Bernardo Piñol authored a resolution asking the Department of Agriculture (DA) to exempt Kidapawan from the entry of imported meat.
Once approved, a copy of the resolution will be sent to the DA regional office for possible intervention. /cb
