Farmers Congress aims to empower hog raisers

As the biggest segment of hog raisers in the country's 120 billion peso hog industry, backyard farmers will be given great importance as this year, the National Federation of Hog Farmers Inc. (NFHFI) will hold the first Backyard Hog Farmers Congress in Cebu. 

During a press conference held recently, the federation presented their upcoming 17th Hog Convention and Trade Exhibits that will be held on April 24 to 26 at the Cebu International Convention Center that will showcase the latest veterinary products and innovative equipments, live hogs exhibit and various seminars on the new trends and techniques for hog raising.

With the theme "Enhancing Pork Production for the Export Market," NFHFI president Albert R.T. Lim, Jr. said the convention will be a venue wherein hog producers from around the country coming from Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao can gain knowledge to improve on their techniques in hog raising and convene to network and share their individual experiences to other members.

"Hog farmers both conventional and backyard can learn from modern and innovative hog farming techniques and equipments so we are urging all of them to join us at the CICC for the annual convention which is for free," said Lim.

He also added that the convention will give much emphasis on the problems of backyard farmers so that they will be able to breed more productively and gain more income in their raising ventures.

Lim said that backyard hog producers actually compose 70% of the country’s hog production but they are not given support by the government in terms of subsidy and tax exemptions and their products are not well valued in the market.

Whereas  the rest of the 30% are commercial raisers, which usually have the technology and capacity for producing quality and high-valued breeds since they have smooth sailing operations and the value of their breeds are priced well in the market.

Department of Agriculture Regional Director Ricardo Oblena also urged the hog industry stockholders especially the small farmers to participate in the upcoming national event for them to be able to determine the status of the sector and help in leveraging its competitiveness for the international market.

As of the moment Oblena announced that the entire Central Visayas has been declared by an international institution as free from the foot and mouth disease (FMD), a problem that have been stopping our hog meat producers the privilege to export their products abroad.

He added that this opportunity will now be a major development that will enable the industry to export outside the country so he urged the raisers to continue upgrading their operations and breeding technology to be able to meet the quality standard demanded by the global market.

The 17th National Hog Convention and Trade Exhibits will be hosted by the Cebu Association of Meat and Poultry Products Multi-purpose Cooperative (CAMMP) and its exhibit will have 125 booths. This longest running convention is part of NFHFI's mission to protect and promote the hog farmers as well as to enhance their opportunities for growth, efficiency, equity and sustainability of their 120 billion peso industry.