Philippine Hog News:

[mikey]

Raise Pigs, Chickens the Organic Way, Says BAI
PHILIPPINES - Recent findings and evaluations by the Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI) show that a plant scientifically known as Trichantera gigantea can be used economically for the production of organic pigs and chicken. Whole leaves of Trichantera could be fed to pigs, but need to be chopped for chicken.



Research at the BAI's National Swine and Poultry Research and Development Center (NSPRDC) in Tiaong, Quezon, showed that pigs fed Trichantera at 20 per cent level of replacement of commercial feed in growing-finishing rations produced cheaper liveweight gain, with cost per kilogram gain lower by 2 pesos compared to those fed a 100 per cent commercial ration. Pigs in both rations have similar liveweight gain and meat quality.

Trichantera is also palatable to and good for chicken and ducks. Ricky Malolos of St. Tomas, Batangas, raises native chicken and ducks but could only feed Trichantera to his free-range chicken due to limited area for growing the plant. He feeds chicken, with 50 per cent Trichantera and 50 per cent commercial feed which costs him an average of sixty centavos per head per day. Selling his chicken at 5 to 6 months old for 250 pesos/ head, he gets an average net return of 100 pesos/ head. He just sold 500 head for 125,000 pesos last June, which gave him an income of 50,000 pesos.

These results and observations prompted BAI Director Efren C. Nuestro to direct Dr Rene C. Santiago (Center Chief, NSPRDC) to go into massive propagation of the plant.

"Planting materials of Trichantera should be made readily available to enable farmers to benefit from the results of our research," Mr Nuestro said, following his recent visit to the Center and Ricky's farm. "This is consistent with the new Department of Agriculture's programme on organic farming," he further stressed.

[mikey]

Tuesday, September 21, 2010        Pork Prices Drop as Consumers Shift to Chicken
PHILIPPINES - A shift in consumer demand for meat products has caused pork prices to drop by as much as P20 per kilo, the Department of Agriculture (DA) said yesterday.



In a radio interview, DA Assistant Secretary Salvador said the consumer shift from pork to chicken has brought down pork prices to about P160 to P170 a kilo from P180 to P190 a kilo in the first half of this year.

“The primary reason behind this is the shift in consumer demand. There is a close shifting pattern between pork and chicken, where Filipinos tend to shift to chicken commodity when pork prices are high, and vice-versa,” Mr Salacup said.

“Since chicken prices are much lower for now, Filipinos tend to favor broilers, resulting to lower prices in swine products,” the official added.

According to The Manila Times.net, last Saturday, Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala said DA, poultry raisers and market vendors have agreed on a standard reference price of P100 per kilogram for “unbranded” dressed chicken and P110 for “branded” chicken.

Dressed chicken now sells at P120 per kilogram, the Bureau of Agricultural Statistics said.

The department earlier reported that farm gate price of live chickens went down to P57 to 50 a kilo because of the surplus in supply. According to farmers, the break-even price for chicken production is P58 to P60.

To stem further losses, local poultry farmers threatened to suspend their operations, which may result to a shortage of chicken by the end of the year.

In line with this, Salacup said that DA will continue to monitor the prices in the coming months, when demand for the two commodities traditionally goes up.

DA Assistant Secretary for Livestock Davinio Catbagan had said the department would be meeting with poultry industry stakeholders today to discuss the possible intervention the government can do to ensure a stable supply of chicken in time for the holiday season.

Mr Catbagan said the government would try to avert the need to import chicken by the end of the year to bridge any supply gap.

[jenny_pretty18]

The government should reach out to our fellow poultry raisers and swine raisers. They should do something to fully avoid importation of chicken and meat. These could encourage our fellow poultry and swine raisers to continue and expand their business that could give more Filipinos employment and could give better economy..

[mikey]

Farming is about producing commodities and all commodities rise and fall depending on many factors.The comsumer is more buying saavey and will always look for the best possible deal for their protein sources.But as production cost rise and the farmgate prices fall,we all must decide what is in our best interest.We have seen in the past some will decide to exit the market.Producers tend to shy away from falling markets and look for other commodities to invest in.

We all the face the same problems worldwide when it comes to farming.Some of us will stay the course and trim our overhead expenses and ride out the downward trends and wait for our respected market to return to healthier times.

Not sure what the Govt. can really do for the average producer?

[mikey]

Meat imports hurt local producers
[24 September 2010] Pork imports into the Philippines from January to July 2010 totaled 115 million kg exceeding the entire 2009 imports of 114 million kg. Chicken imports too have surged in the first seven months and is close to surpassing last year’s total imports of 67 million kg. It is expected that buffalo meat imports would also further rise with the coming Christmas holidays. Pig and chicken farms are reeling from the entry of cheaper imported meat and there have been suggestions that the government curb the rising pork and chicken imports as it is hurting the local livestock and poultry sectors.

[mikey]

RP to Re-open Pork Trade Talks with Singapore
PHILIPPINES - Manila may start renegotiating with Singapore on pork trade that was stalled as the two sides wait for results of the Ebola Reston antigen test done at the facilities of exporter Matutum Meat Packing Corp.



The test results will be sent to Singapore this week, according to the Bureau of Animal Industry.

“We are preparing to communicate with our Singaporean counterpart within the week. The tests conducted on accredited swine farms near the exporting meat plant proved negative to the Ebola antigen test," Animal Bureau Director Efren Nuestro told reporters at the sidelines of 18th anniversary of the National Meat Inspection Service.

Areas near and around the Matutum Meat facilities, including the five farms that were accredited to export pork to Singapore tested negative, the bureau said.

“We’ll immediately inform the farms if Singapore will allow the exportation so they can prepare the volume. Meanwhile we just have to wait," he added.

According to GMA News.tv, Singapore made it clear that Philippines should have an updated status report on viral contamination to ensure that the virus has been eradicated before the country starts exporting its meat.

An infection outbreak in several pig farms in Pandi, Bulacan in 2008 spoiled the country’s first bid to export 50 metric tons to Singapore. The outbreak had since been contained with the help of a 22-member team from three United Nations agencies.

Matutum Meat in Polomolok, South Cotabato was supposed to make its first export of pork and pork products to Singapore when the departments of Health and Agriculture confirmed the contamination in Bulacan.

Matutum Meat was the first and only Philippine meat processing plant accredited by the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority of Singapore to ship pork products to the island nation.

[mikey]

Philippines continue efforts to begin pork exports to Singapore
[20 October 2010] The Philippines will again try to renegotiate with Singapore in its efforts to begin pork exports to the city state. Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI) Director Dr Efren Nuestro said that the BAI is drafting a letter to the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority of Singapore this week, after livestock in the farms accredited for export tested negative for Ebola Reston virus (ERV). The Philippines was about to send its first batch of exports to Singapore in December 2008 when news that blood samples from pigs from Luzon tested positive for the ERV, prompting the Philippine government to voluntarily halt the shipment. Dr Nuestro said however that they have no target date for the initial shipment.

[redhill]

above all the things that affects our economy, esp. local farmers who are all trying hard to make a decent living; behind are crooks, hungry savvy , corrupt government officials who only wants to fill their pockets with million of pesos commission from the close door deals they are getting into....alam na natin yan..kahit walang shortage basta kumita sila...wla silang pakialam, its the same scenario that happened to NFA. kapag nagka bukingan sila kung sino sino ang tinuturo....

mga Govt. officials na tiwali...mahiya kayo sa balat nyo....mga pinapakain nyo sa mga anak at pamilya nyo nakaw...tamaan sana kayo ng cancer...
mag resign na kayo...

despite the peso to dollar exchange rate nowadays is strong. ung mga presyo ng bilihin hindi na bumaba...prapaganda ng mga corrupt na opisyales sa gobyerno....ihahahanin na lang at kakainin ng taong bayan, gusto pa nyong pagkakitaan! sa mga corrupt at tiwaling nasa gobyerno, dapat kayo ang kumain ng tira tira na pagkaing baboy!

[mikey]

What I post about world current trends,I do so to help others understand what is happening globally in their respected livestock business venture.What goes around,comes around.Worldwide,pressures on decline in many livestock sectors.Right now we are in a decline mode.So true these added pressures create extra hardships on local producers.The hog industry in the Philippines has traditionally relied on the holiday season for better than average prices.Nothing in life is a given.

Every country has its GNP (gross national products)exports.The Philippines is an agriculture culture and the country has opportunities to capilize on this.Agriculture products for exports brings in hard currency for the state.Or would the state rather rely on OFWS and their money remittences as the states GNP.If the Philippines does not act on its agriculture strenghts,other countries will.The RP Govt. needs to be willing to send fact finding trade missions to other Asian nations to see what and where Philippines agriculture products can be exported to.The spin off off jobs this will create on home soil from the production level all the way to the loading of Made In The Philippines labels.In turn lets hope the citizens of the Philippines will be able to stay and live in the Philippines instead of having to leave their birth place for foreign lands as cheap labor.Opportunties are there just needs some Govt. intervention.

personal opinion only???

[mikey]

Thai Food Firm Eyes Investment in Philippines
PHILIPPINES - On a recent visit, top officials of Charoen Pokphand Foods (CPF) indicated their company's interest in investing in feed, poultry and pig production in the Philippines.



Agriculture Secretary Proceso J. Alcala has thanked Thailand Ambassador to the Philippines, Kulkumut Singhara Na Ayudhaya, during the latter's recent courtesy call at the Department of Agriculture (DA) central office in Quezon City.

According to a government press release, Ambassador Ayudhaya had been joined by top officials of Charoen Pokphand Foods (CPF), Thailand's leading agro-industrial and food conglomerate, who expressed keen interest in investing in the country particularly on feed mill, poultry and piggery operations.

Secretary Alcala immediately tasked DA officials and agencies to assist CPF officials to realise their planned investment.

Last year, total trade between the Philippines and Thailand amounted to US$3.7 billion. The country's top agricultural exports to Thailand include tuna, cigars and cigarettes, and cereal products, while top agricultural imports include Thai rice, corn seeds and cassava starch or tapioca.

[mikey]

DA Mulls Protection for Local Hog industry
PHILIPPINES - The Department of Agriculture may propose raising the tariff rate on imported pork offals, an official said on Monday.



"Local hog farmers have asked the department to review the current 5 per cent duty on pork offal imports. So, this is being studied by department and it may recommend the increase of the duty to the Tariff and Related Matters body," Assistant Secretary for Livestock Davinio P. Catbagan said in a telephone interview.

Pork offals refer to parts usually discarded as waste or set aside for use in meat by-products, including the tail, hooves, blood, head, brain, heart and liver.

"After the [interagency] Tariff and Related Matters body reviews this, it will be forwarding its decision to the President, and only through an Executive Order may the tariff be adjusted," Mr Catbagan said.

Mr Catbagan noted that pork offals are relatively low-priced because these products are treated as waste in markets like the US and Canada. "They consider ears, tongue, cheeks, intestines, etc. as waste; but in the Philippines, these are used in our food," he said.

The 5 per cent duty on imported pork offals is mandated through Executive Order (EO) No. 84 issued on 15 March 2002. Under that EO, pork offals -- except for liver -- were to have a 7 per cent duty in 2002-2003 and 5 per cent starting in 2004, while liver was to have a 5 per cent duty from 2002.

In a separate phone interview, Albert R. T. Lim, Jr., president of the Pork Producers Federation of the Philippines, Inc., welcomed the department’s move. "This is, of course, welcomed by the industry. The influx of cheap pork offals is hurting the local hog industry. These items are supposed to be supplied only to meat processors; however, the products are flooding wet markets," Mr. Lim said, adding that imported pork offals are "much cheaper" than locally-produced pork priced at around P170-P180 per kilogram.

Mr Lim could not say for sure how much imported pork offals are now priced in wet markets, Business World reports.

But Jesus C. Cham, president of the Meat Importers and Traders Association, said separately by phone that an increase in the pork offal import duty would be "unreasonable."

"This is unreasonable thinking, because our local hog producers have not developed a market for offals," Mr Cham said.

"Local hog producers sell whole hogs; so, naturally, they cannot compete with those selling by-products which are the offals. The entry of offals also enables consumers to purchase something cheaper," he argued.

Mr Cham added that it is "unreasonable" to say that pork offals should be supplied only to processors. "Products of the processors - for example, longganisa - will reach the markets in one way or another. It is cheaper to buy raw products, so why should it be available for processors only?"

As of 18 November, shipments of pork offals to the Philippines had reached 48,450 metric tons (MT), 67 per cent more than the 29,000 MT imported last year, Bureau of Animal Industry data showed.

[mikey]

SMFI’s Sumilao hog farm fully operational
[17 December 2010]   San Miguel Foods Inc (SMFI) has finally begun operations of its hog farm and meat processing facility in Sumilao, Bukidnon Province that was mired in a land distribution controversy a few years back. Leo Obviar, General Manager of SMFI Poultry and Meats Business said that the facility, which now has 4400 sows and can produce 88 tonnes of processed meats annually, began full operations in mid-2010. Half of the facility’s total production will be for the Luzon market and the other half for local markets in Mindanao.

[mikey]

Philippine hog raisers working to keep pigs disease free
[24 December 2010] Philippine hog raisers are drafting plans to help keep the industry disease free, citing the need for industry stakeholders to work with the government. Mr Edwin Chen, incoming President of the Pork Producers Federation of the Philippines, Inc, said during a press conference for the launch of the Hog Convention and Trade Exhibits 2011 that hog farmers must work with government to “come up with a comprehensive solution addressing sanitary and health issues of the industry.” One of these strategies is to promote the concept of multi-site operation which will enhance disease control. The Convention is scheduled for March 17-19 at the Philippine International Convention Center in Pasay City.

[mikey]

DDGS good alternative ingredient for swine feeds
[27 December 2010] DDGS is an excellent alternative feed ingredient that can dramatically reduce production cost of swine producers, Dr Jerry Shurson of the University of Minnesota told participants in the a seminar sponsored by the US Grains Council in Manila. He said that DDGS inclusion levels can reach up to 30% in all phases of production and even up to 50% in gestation. Studies have shown that feeding diets containing DDGS can improve gut health in the grower-finish stage, while it may also improve litter size weaned when fed at high levels to gestating and lactating sows.

[mikey]

Backyard farm recovery puts modest Philippines hog production target within reach
[30 December 2010] The Philippine government's target to achieve a small 1% growth in local hog production for 2010 is possible, a report by BusinessWord said. The report quoted Bureau of Animal Industry Director Efren Nuestro as saying the target is “achievable,” as “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.” He also said that the Christmas holidays should have provided an added boost for the hog industry's recovery as traditionally, demand picks up during this time.