TO STRENGTHEN food security and create rural jobs, a private-sector initiative is positioning the Philippines to become a major global producer of Wagyu beef.
Speaking before the cattle farming stakeholders during the Davao Wagyu and Sorghum Forum on May 15, former agriculture secretary Emmanuel Piñol said the program addresses the country’s growing food needs through integrated farming and cattle production.
The “1-M Wagyu Crusade” is centered on the Japanese beef prized for its tenderness, rich flavor, and intense marbling.
Piñol said the integrated approach can reduce reliance on imports, stabilize local food supply, and open opportunities for Filipino farmers to enter high-value livestock markets.
“Wagyu has a higher value with the same time and effort compared to ordinary cattle, with prolific calving and easier handling for farmers,” Piñol said.
Piñol noted the fewer biosecurity threats, independence from commercial feeds, and resilience against import surges is the beef’s advantages over pork and poultry.
He added that it offers premium export potential and better meat quality for Filipino households.
The initiative begins with 1,200 breeders at Great Arch Farm, targeting one million Wagyu cattle by 2027 and scaling to 10 million by 2037.
“The initiative outlines a three-step approach—sorghum and soybean cultivation for high-quality feeds, feed production including grains, silage, and full-fat soya, and livestock raising for poultry, aquaculture, and high-value cattle such as Wagyu,” Piñol explained.
The campaign projected a P31 billion yearly farmer income from forage harvesting; 250,000 rural jobs in silage processing; and P400 billion annual beef earnings from 200 million kilos of Wagyu.
“We dream of the Philippines as a supplier of Wagyu,” he added, noting that boosting production could transform the country into a global Wagyu powerhouse.
As of 2025, the Philippine Statistics Authority reported a total cattle inventory of about 2.6 million heads, with 82–83 percent raised by smallholder or backyard farms and the rest by semi-commercial and commercial operations.
