Singapore firm helps DA push for cage-free egg production

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Agriculture (DA) has teamed up with Singapore-based consulting company Global Food Partners to help egg farmers employ practices on cage-free egg production amid growing demand for the product.

According to the DA, more and more egg producers in the Philippines are seeking to adopt cage-free egg practices, and have expressed the need for technical training in cage-free production.

This as dozens of leading food and hospitality businesses in the Philippines and across Asia have committed to only sourcing cage-free eggs.

Some of these companies include Unilever, Nestle, Marriott International, and MetroMart.

The DA’s Agricultural Training Institute (ATI) and its partner GlobalFood Partners have launched the online course “Cage-free Egg Production: The Basics” last Oct. 14 on the ATI’s e-learning Portal.

The course is offered free of charge to producers in the country, as well as other individuals who are interested in the practice.

ATI OIC director Remelyn Recoter said the government is committed to supporting farmers who are interested in adopting cage-free egg practices.

“Global Food Partners brings decades of experience working with producers to implement and optimize cage-free egg production, and their e-learning course provides valuable know-how and information on this topic. We encourage whoever is interested or involved in cage-free production to take advantage of this free course offering,” she said.

The course was developed by Global Food Partners’ science and technical team, in collaboration with Netherlands-based Aeres University of Applied Sciences.

The team has decades of experience working with poultry industries across the world on the adoption of best practices in cage-free egg production, including in India, China, Australia, Europe, and Vietnam.

The course features seven modules to help egg farmers, veterinarians, auditors, students and others involved in egg production, establish a basic understanding of animal welfare and cage-free egg production as well as put the knowledge into your daily practices.

“We’re thrilled to be able to support ATI’s network of egg farmers in the Philippines by providing our e-course free of charge. Buyers are increasingly preferring cage-free eggs, and our course gives farmers key information and tips for successfully adopting and maintaining  cage-free farms,” Global

Food Partners’ chief program officer Jayasimha Nuggehalli said.