Philippine Hog News:

[mikey]

Animal Production on the Rise in the Philippines
PHILIPPINES - At 1.5 per cent, agricultural output rose marginally in the first half of 2009 but livestock production was significantly higher than the same period a year ago.



AFP reports that Philippine farm output grew slightly in the six months to June as state efforts to boost crop production kicked in and the disease-ravaged livestock sector recovered, according to a government statement. However the 1.53 per cent year-on-year expansion remained way below its 4.7 per cent pace in the first half of 2008.

Farm output accounts for less than 20 per cent of the Philippines economy but 35 per cent of its labour force still depends on agriculture and Manila is the world's largest rice importer.

Fisheries output was up 4.9 per cent, poultry grew 4.13 per cent and livestock rose 2.42 per cent as the central and southern regions built up their stock for meat and poultry, according to AFP.

The department said that the livestock sector had suffered a 3.3 per cent drop in the first half of 2008 – the period used for comparison – due to a decline in hog output caused by various diseases that affected the industry from December 2007.

Livestock and poultry together account for about one quarter of the country's farm output.

Output of unhusked rice – the country's main crop – rose 3.59 per cent to 7.38 million tonnes partly as a result of state intervention programmes that expanded lands planted to grow the crop, better irrigation, extensive use of hybrid seeds, and increased fertiliser use, the department said in a statement. Manila is targeting production of 17.81 million tonnes of unhusked rice this year.

However corn, the country's second most important crop, suffered a 2.27 per cent output drop to 3.22 million tonnes.

Corn is the main feed crop for the livestock sector, and the department said farmers are being encouraged to plant more by boosting the state budget to provide "drying and marketing services to thousands of corn farmers."

Other key crops such as bananas, coconuts, peanuts and cassava also posted increases in output, the statement said.

[mikey]

 Crispy pork skin maker eyes exports to US
[17 August 2009] One of the Philippines most popular makers of 'chicharon' (crispy pork skin) is planning to export its product to the US after investing in production and packaging equipment, a report by Businessworld said. R. Lapid's Chicharon and Barbecue owner Rey Lapid said he is working to get both a HACCP and ISO accreditation to become the exclusive exporter of chicharon to the US. The company which has already received a GMP accreditation from the National Meat Inspection Service, will increase its chicharon production later this year with the acquisition of a new boiler and kettle machine. Mr Lapid said he expects production to increase by 30-40% to five tonnes per day with the new equipment. Currently, R. Lapid's has 100 outlets in the country, 95 in Luzon and 5 in the Visayas. 
 
 
 

[mikey]

27 August 2009] CPF will invest THB 1.525 billion (USD 44.84 million) in swine and aqua businesses in the Philippines under its operating arm CPF Philippines Corporation, with THB 1.40 billion (USD 41.06 million) allocated for aqua operation and THB 125 million (USD 3.66 million) for swine, according to President and CEO Adirek Sripratak. The aqua business will involve a shrimp feed plant in Cebu with a capacity of 30,000 tonnes/year and fish feed mill with a capacity of 60,000 tonnes in Luzon. Swine investments include GGP and GP farms at 1,200 sows and PS farms of 14,000 pigs in Luzon island. Philippines has great potential because of its 92 million population and high pork consumption at 15 kg per capita, Mr Adirek commented.

[mikey]

27 August 2009] Retail prices of pork in the Philippines have gone up by PHP 10 (USD 0.21) to PHP 160 (USD 3.30)/kg this week from PHP 150 (USD 3.09)/kg last week, with retailers blaming the price increase on a shortage in supply. However National Federation of Hog Farmers Inc President Albert RT Lim said that farm prices remain around PHP 90 (USD 1.85)/kg, and there is enough supply so there is no reason why retail prices should be going up. Meanwhile Agriculture Secretary Arthur Yap said his department is looking into the situation to make sure that there is no overpricing happening. The big discrepancy between farm and retail prices is usually blamed on traders who producers say are the ones jacking up the prices. Meanwhile, retail prices of chicken are down from PHP 150 (USD 3.09)/kg to PHP 125 (USD 2.58)/kg.

[mikey]

In preparation for its application with the Office International des Epizooties for an 'FMD-free without vaccination' application for Luzon, the Philippine Department of Agriculture has ordered the stop of all FMD vaccination iand an inventory of all available FMD vaccines in the country. Under Administrative Order No. 12, all importation of FMD vaccines is prohibited, with importation only to be allowed through government intervention. All vaccines are also ordered to be turned over to the government for safekeeping and documentation. Reildrin Morales, Deputy Chief of the National FMD Task Force said that the withdrawal is proof that the Philippines is no longer using FMD vaccines. There are currently about 5,000-10,000 bottles of FMD vaccines in the country, enough for 250,000-500,000 hogs.

[nemo]

Thanks mikey for the updates,,, appreciated alot.

[mikey]

Doc. public service annoucement
no problem

[mikey]

 Pilmico Foods sets USD 9.6 million for expansion
[14 September 2009] Pilmico Foods Corporation is setting aside PHP 469 million (USD 9.57 million) to expand its feed and hog operations in the Philippines. A report from the Philippine Daily Inquirer said that the company's feed plant in Iligan City in Mindanao is nearing its full capacity of 10000 tonnes/month, and is now planning to order new equipment to begin expansion, which the company said could be finished by the second quarter of 2010. Pilmico is also planning on expanding its hog production with the construction of a new farm. With the upcoming Philippine national elections in 2010, demand for pork and chicken meat is forecast to increase. 
 
 
 

[mikey]

The Philippine Department of Agriculture (DA) is seeking ways to collect some PHP 2.5 billion (USD 51.9 million) in unpaid loans from its Agriculture Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (ACEF). DA Undersecretary Bernie Fondevilla said that while not all borrowers have defaulted on their loans, some are having difficulty in paying back what they owe, citing as examples some hog farmers whose operations were hit by the Ebola Reston Virus. He said most borrowers have requested for loan restructuring and said that the DA was wiling to make concessions for owners of disaster-hit farms to pay back their loan but that loan condonation is a not an option. He said the agency will file cases against uncooperative borrowers.

[amt_10]

hello...tanong ko lng po kung alam nyo po b ung hog population ng bulacan? ang kung ilang tons ng baboy ang sinusupply nila??
thanks..

[mikey]

RP to Import 20,000 Tons of Pork to Avert Shortage
PHILIPPINES - An expected tight supply of pork in the coming holiday season amid low production has prompted the government, private traders and even hog raisers to agree to import an additional 20,000 metric tons (MT) this year.



This, after consultations with hog farmers who admitted a supply gap as backyard farms have yet to recover from diseases that struck in the last two years.

"We are worried about the pork supply situation. We do not want a very sharp spike in prices," Agriculture Undersecretary Bernie G. Fondevilla said in a phone interview late last week. "Our [import] target is 20,000 MTto make sure that there is pork coming in."

Renato R. Eleria, chairman of the National Federation of Hog Farmers, Inc., concurred. "Supply is really tight. Backyard farmers are still affected by diseases in the past, so they have lower output," he said in an interview late last week. "We agreed to have a small importation for standby stock."

According to ABS-CBN News, backyard hog farms, which account for 70 per cent of total hog production, have yet to recover from diseases like the porcine reproductive respiratory syndrome and hog cholera.

Mr Fondevilla said the supply gap might push prices higher than P180 per kilogram in the holiday season. "We do not want that happening, of course."

Retail prices of pork averaged P150-P170 per kilogram last December, while prices early this week ranged from P160-P170/kg, data from the Bureau of Agricultural Statistics show.

Not all 20,000 MT will be imported in one batch "because we also want our local producers to be able to supply if they can," Mr Fondevilla said.

He explained that 5,000 MT will be delivered in November to the government while another 5,000 MT will be divided equally between private traders and hog producers. Another 10,000 MT might come in early in December.

Mr Eleria said that three years ago, the government allowed special importation of about 5,000 MT of pork to plug the supply gap in the holiday season.

To encourage private sector participation in the importation, Mr. Fondevilla said "we are asking the Finance department for a tax expenditure subsidy."

State tax expenditure subsidies are used to settle — on paper — customs duties and other taxes due the importation of goods.

The 20,000-MT imports will be on top of the 54,210 MT of fresh, chilled and frozen pork under the minimum access volume (MAV), Mr. Fondevilla said. Imports under the MAV scheme are slapped with 30 per cent duties, lower than the 40 per cent for import volumes outside the MAV.

The pork might be bought by state-run Food Terminal, Inc. from Canada, United States, Australia or the Netherlands, he added.

Mr Fondevilla said imported pork will likely cost P130/kg, including freight.

"Since part of the volume will be brought in by the government itself, our commitment to the private sector is that pork will not be released below P155/kg," Mr Fondevilla said. "That is also a way to protect our local industry and not to depress prices too much."

Hog output, which accounts for a tenth of total farm production, contracted by 1.6 per cent last year to 1.886 million MT, BAS data show.

Carlos B. Mendoza, executive director of the Livestock Development Council, said, "We might not attain the 4 per cent growth target. We changed the target to 2 per cebt growth because of low hog population."

But Mr Eleria said output could even drop 1 per cent - 1.5 per cent this year given low hog population.

[mikey]

15 October 2009] The Philippine government has allowed the importation of as much as 20,000 tonnes of pork and up to 5,000 tonnes of chicken to stave off any possible shortage during the coming holiday season and up to early next year. Agriculture Secretary Arthur Yap said the government and private sector had already projected a shortage in pork about two months ago. Industry leader Albert RT Lim noted that even before the storms hit the Philippines, the shortage in Luzon alone was seen at around 30,000 tonnes. Meanwhile, United Broiler Raisers Association Chairman Gregorio San Diego said that while the losses of the poultry industry was not extensive, the government told them that “chicken imports are needed to take up the expected slack in demand for pork,” and that “election-related spending will increase demand for poultry products.”

[mikey]

ACMC Nucleus Expansion in the Philippines
PHILIPPINES - To meet unprecedented demand for the prolific AC1 hybrid gilt in the Philippines, Wellisa Farms has invested 15 million Philippine pesos (over £200,000) to expand its nucleus herd from 300 to 700 sows to increase production. It expects sales to double in 2009.



Satisfied ACMC customer Leon Tan Jr. (left) with Dr Danny Silbor (centre) and Dr Rene Bijasa of the Ceva Veterinary Drug Company, on Mindanao island. The gilts have to travel from island to island to reach this remote destination.


Wellisa Farms' new multiplication unit located on the highly-biosecure Bantayan island in the Philippine Cebu province. The company set up the unit on the tropical island of Bantayan in Cebu province in 2006 using stock, under licence, from British pig-breeding company ACMC.

The original aim was to supply their own breeders within an integrated operation tied-in with Cebu city’s abattoirs. Surplus gilts were sold to other pig farmers in the area and such was the prolificacy of the stock that this soon developed into a healthy market with demand coming from both existing and new customers, mainly on small-to-medium sized farms.

Geographically, sales go to Cebu and the Visayan Archipelago, with some stock being shipped to the main island of Luzon.

The AC1 gilt is produced by crossing ACMC’s Meidam female with the Volante damline boar. Having expanded from existing nucleus stock Wellisa Farms will be importing more animals and semen from Britain to keep their genetics up-to-date.

“Due to the Meidam genes, the AC1 can produce over two pigs more per litter than normal commercial sows in the Philippines,” commented Stephen Curtis ACMC’s chairman.

The stock is well adapted to the tropical weather and conditions in the Philippines and, having proved itself, has now become widely accepted,” said Danny Silbor, managing director, of ACMC’s Filipino franchise.

[mikey]

21 October 2009] The Philippine government is seeking an FMD-free status for several key producing provinces in Luzon from the the Office Internationale des Epizooties (OIE). Bureau of Animal Industry Director Dr Davinio Catbagan said that the government will again file for FMD-free certification from OIE in November. He said the application for FMD-free with vaccination certification will cover Central Luzon, Calabarzon and Pangasinan, all of which are key pig producing regions in Luzon. Meanwhile, FMD-free without vaccination status is being requested for the Ilocos region, Cagayan Valley, Mimaropa and the Bicol Region. No outbreaks have been reported throughout Luzon since December 2005, however the government's application for FMD-free status was denied earlier in April this year due to a missing blood test.

[mikey]

 Monterey to merge with livestock firm
[30 October 2009] Monterey Foods Corp, the Philippines largest hog raiser, has acquired Highbreed Livestock Corp, a company engaged in livesock farming, and has secured an approval from the Securities and Exchange Commission to merge the two companies to improve operations efficiency, a report by Businessworld said. Monterey, a subsidiary of San Miguel Corp,  would add Highbreed Livestock’s assets and liabilities worth PHP 921.78 million (USD 19.36 million) and PHP 959.08 million (USD 20.14) respectively to its own which stood at PHP 4.95 billion (USD 103.97 million) and PHP 4.69 billion (USD 98.51 million). From January-June 2009, Monterey registered a 9% sales growth despite the weakened consumer demand.