Department of Agriculture pushes Livestock and Poultry Board

MANILA, Philippines – The Department of Agriculture (DA) is pushing for the creation of a Livestock and Poultry Board to oversee the livestock and poultry sectors.

The planned Livestock and Poultry Board would be similar to the National Corn Board which exercises supervision over corn growers and feed millers.

In a recent meeting with various industry stakeholders, Agriculture Secretary Arthur C. Yap stressed the urgency for the creation of a national board for the livestock and poultry sectors to “integrate” the various sub-sectors and come up with a total approach to the supply and pricing concerns that have long buffeted these industries.

The proposed board would tackle issues and concerns on livestock and poultry production, as well as their animal feed requirements.

The DA, Yap said, would recommend to President Arroyo the issuance of an Executive Order to create the proposed integrated commodity board.

The proposed board would decide on crucial matters such as import requirements of meat processors to ensure that shipments do not create supply “surges” that unduly depress farm gate prices; implementation of intervention programs in corn areas that supply the requirements of livestock and poultry farms; and draw up the list of slaughterhouses that the DA has to modernize so local growers can have better facilities to store and then market their pork products.

Those who attended the meeting to discuss the creation of the proposed Livestock and Poultry Board included party-list representatives Nicanor Briones (Agricultural Sector Alliance of the Philippines or AGAP) and Robert Raymond Estrella (ABONO); Francisco Buencamino, executive director of the Philippine Association of Meat Processors Inc. (PAMPI); Jesus Cham, president of the Meat Importers and Traders Association (MITA); Marilou Uy of the Pampanga Association of Meat Processors Inc. (PAMPRO); Fortunato Venegas, president of Northern Mindanao Hog Raisers Association Inc. (NORMIN HOG); ABONO chairman Rosendo So; Emilio Escobillo Jr. of South Cotabato Swine Producers Association (SOCOSPA); Joselito Liugpo of Lipa Multi-Purpose Cooperative Marketing Association (LIMCOMA); Ruben Coliyat of Soro-soro Ibaba Development Cooperative (SIDC); Romy Co of Tarlac Association of Swine-Poultry Raisers Inc. (TASPRI); Freddie Dy of United Agri Producers Group Inc. (UAPGI) and Alan Chan of Gold Farm Livestock Inc. (GFLI).

The DA officials who were present during the meeting were NMIS executive director Jane Bacayo, executive director Carlos Mendoza of the Livestock Development Council (LDC); BAI assistant director Victor Atienza; former National Food Authority administrator Gregorio Tan, a member of Secretary Yap’s Technical Advisory Group; and Francisco Ramos III, director of the DA’s Agribusiness and Marketing Assistance Services (AMAS).