Pork producers fear going broke from imports

Santo Domingo.- Dominican Pork Producers Federation (Fedoporc), president Israel Brito on Tues. warned that the sector runs the risk of disappearing as a result of imports of such meat and derived products.

He told Diario Libre that there are more than 10,000 pigs on the farm that they have not been able to market because of the unfair competition that imports represent.

“The sector has a difficult marketing situation due to imports. Tomorrow (Wednesday, December 4) we have, precisely, a meeting with the Agriculture Minister to explain that imports are going to bankrupt the national pig sector and leave without support for more than 25,000 producers in the Dominican Republic to change of the few that import and receive great benefits,” he said.

Brito said that producing a kilo of white meat is around RD$88.00 and currently selling a pig costs between RD$70.00 and RD$80.00. “This indicates that there is an average loss, per pig, of more than RD$1,500.”

He added that about 100,000 pigs are being shipped to the slaughterhouse monthly.