Agriculture Secretary William Dar denied accusations from the hog raising industry that the Department of Agriculture (DA) had been “doctoring” or falsifying its data to justify the importation of pork amid the local hog supply problem.

“We took exception to that call or that accusation by hog raisers. That is not true, we are not (doctoring data),” Dar said during a televised interview Friday, March 12.
“Our data are transparently displayed or can be shown anytime and we have basis for submitting and recommending the increase of MAV, the Minimum Access Volume. So, I have told during that (Senate) hearing that the DA is not in that business in doctoring data,” the secretary calmly said.
The Cabinet official explained that jointly implementing the increase of MAV and the lowering of tariff "will discourage smuggling of pork and this will encourage more pork that will be imported to really be sold openly in the markets."
Dar also disclosed that they are now in the process of finalizing a recommendation on declaring a state of emergency due to the impact of the African Swine Fever (ASF) in the country.
ASF has decimated the local hog population--particularly in Luzon-- due to culling, which is a necessary recourse.
“We are finalizing our recommendation base doon sa rekomendasyon na galing po sa Senado (based on the recommendation given by the Senate) . So anytime this week, we will be sending our position and recommendation to the Palace,” the secretary said.