Gov't prepares export of Pork - Phil Daily Inquirer - Jan 24, 2008

This will definitely affect supply and price of pork here in the Philippines. Please see below news from Phil. Daily Inquirer:

Gov’t prepares export of pork
By Amy R. Remo
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 00:39:00 01/24/2008
http://business.inquirer.net/money/topstories/view/20080124-114392/Govt-prepares-export-of-pork

MANILA, Philippines--The Department of Agriculture is preparing to export an initial $200 million worth of pork to Singapore by March, Agriculture Secretary Arthur Yap said.

Yap said in a news briefing that quarantine officials from Singapore would arrive here next week to assess meat facilities and equipment of key exporters.

He added that the Philippines could start exporting pork as soon as it passed requirements imposed by Singapore.

Singapore’s Agri Veterinary Authority will inspect at least 20 hog farms in the southern cities of General Santos, Davao and Cagayan de Oro, Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI) Director Davinio Catbagan told the Inquirer.

“These experts will evaluate the facilities of hog farms, farm inspection system implemented by the government, good husbandry practices, cleaning, disinfection, biosecurity measures and the animal traceability,” Catbagan said.

He added that the Singaporean officials were also set to meet with senior officials of the local National Meat Inspection Service and BAI.

Catbagan noted that participating hog farms are all based in Mindanao, which has been declared free from foot-and-mouth disease for more than a decade.

Luzon, meanwhile, has yet to be certified as FMD-free by the France-based Animal Health Organization.

“We will pass export and safety requirements as well as drug residue tests both for meat and animal feeds. But more importantly, we need to ensure that export prices are much, much higher than the cost of production,” Catbagan said.

Earlier, Yap said that once the country started exporting to Singapore, other countries might follow suit, which would propel the Philippine hog industry’s growth.

The country has been exporting an annual average of only about two percent of its meat production.

In 2007, total production of the hog industry reached 1.89 million metric tons.