Poultry industry recovery difficult with P175M losses

CEBU, Philippines - The poultry industry in Bantayan Island may take a longer time to recover after reporting total losses of up to P175 million because of super typhoon Yolanda.

Provincial veterinarian Dr. Mary Rose Vincoy said it is a long road to recovery for poultry raisers and those in the egg industry in Bantayan because the businessmen there did not only lose their poultry houses but also their homes during the typhoon last November 8.

"Ang ila gyud nga sentiment, based sa atong veterinarians on the ground, nga ngano man kunong magtukod pa sila og poultry house nga nawad-an naman gani sila og balay," Vincoy said.

She added that most of the commercial poultry raisers are still at the recovery stage as the industry was also crushed by typhoon Frank in 2008.

Poultry raisers in Bantayan Island produce more than one million eggs daily and supplies 80 percent of the demand in Central Visayas.

The municipality of Bantayan, where most of the poultry farms are located, lost P110 million, followed by Madridejos town with P45 million losses, and Santa Fe with P19 million.

Madridejos town businessman, Engr. Romeo Villaceran, shared that one poultry raiser told him that when before he used to have a daily harvest of 600 trays of eggs, now, post Yolanda, he can only harvest 40 trays per day.

"Pero by next week or next month, mo amat-amat na siya pagdako kay ang uban gi-rescue man," Villaceran told The Freeman.

The Department of Agriculture earlier reported that the public will feel a minor decrease in supply of eggs and other poultry products, as well as a slight increase in prices in two to three months. It cited that the price of one large edible egg is about 30 percent higher at P8 from the pre-typhoon rate of P6 each.

The provincial government has already offered help for commercial poultry raisers to get easy access to financing institutions in order to save the industry should they decide to rebuild their poultry houses.

Vincoy said the governor may make some representations to banks, cooperatives and government funding agencies to waive some requirements and offer longer terms for the borrowers.

The provincial government is also thankful to the World Society for the Protection of Animals for partnering with the Philippine Veterinary Medical Association and the PVO in their immediate disaster response efforts.

At least 42 veterinarians from different veterinary groups in the country, including Barangay Animal Health Aides, conducted a veterinary mission in the seven badly-affected local government units in northern Cebu.

Their services included health assessment through physical examination, wound treatment, deworming, vitamins supplementation, pet food distribution, and livestock health consultancy.

The long-term program of the PVO includes re-stocking of livestock or poultry.

The frontliners, Vincoy said, should also be given emergency guidelines and standardized training, which is recommended by the World Health Organization for animal health as part of emergency response after disasters.

She said this should be included in the preventive measures of the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council. A common reason townsfolk refuse to evacuate to safe grounds is they don't want to leave their livestock at home.

The provision of veterinary services in disasters, Vincoy added, is an important strategy for assisting people to protect their livestock and decrease livestock vulnerability to diseases. – (FREEMAN)