"Growth of 1 per cent [in local hog production] is achievable this year," Bureau of Animal Industry director Efren C. Nuestro said in a telephone interview on Thursday.

"Diseases were controlled and prevented this year, and backyard farms have also recovered - although slowly - from the onslaught of typhoons in the last quarter of 2009." In the nine months that ended in September, local hog production had increased by 0.74 per cent to 1.36 million metric tons (MT) from 1.35 million MT last year, data from the Bureau of Agricultural Statistics (BAS) show.

Hog production grew 1.08 per cent to 1.88 million MT for the entire 2009 from 1.86 million MT the preceding year, the same data showed.

Mr Nuestro said seasonal "heightened demand" for the product in the fourth quarter because of the holiday season should have provided a boost to the industry’s recovery.

"There is a heightened demand for pork every fourth quarter because of the holidays. This will encourage more slaughtering of hogs and increase production," Mr Nuestro said.

According to BusinessWorld, he added that the Agriculture department has yet to come up with a growth target for the industry next year.

"After actual data of local hog production this year registers, then we will be meeting to craft plans, programs and targets for the industry," Mr Nuestro said.

In a separate telephone interview, Albert R. T. Lim, Jr., president of the Pork Producers Federation of the Phils., Inc., said any growth this year would be better than none.

"I really cannot say how much the industry will grow; but if local production can grow by 1 per cent, that is very good, although minimal," Mr Lim said.

Mr Lim noted that it has been a good year for the industry, if only because it was not plagued by diseases.