By Amy R. Remo
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 06:45am (Mla time) 02/29/2008
MANILA, Philippines -- The public may expect a tight supply of pork this year, as some 20 percent of backyard raisers have gone out of business, but the hog raisers’ group says they will meet market demand.
“The industry is hard pressed ... supply is tight, but we can assure the public that there is definitely no pork shortage,” said Albert R.T. Lim Jr., president of National Federation of Hog Farmers Inc.
Hog farmers, especially backyard raisers, have been reeling from the high costs of feeds and from animal diseases.
About 70 percent of the country’s hog farmers are backyard raisers.
“Prices of feed ingredients such as corn and soy have increased by as much as 50 percent since 2000, while prices of pork have increased by only 20 percent,” Lim noted.
As of last month, prices of feed ingredients had risen: soybean to a 37-year high of P24 a kilogram, corn to P12.00-P13.50, feed wheat to P17.40, and coconut oil to P52.
Lim said production costs rose to as much as P100 a kilogram and retail and wet market prices hovered between P140 and P160 a kilogram.
He also noted the occurrence of animal diseases such as porcine epidemic diarrhea and porcine reproduction and respiratory syndrome.
However, Lim said the swine industry remained optimistic of sustaining growth. “We expect hog production to normalize by the middle of the year,” he said.
Last year hog production grew 2.7 percent to 1.89 million metric tons.
Meanwhile, Bureau of Animal Industry Director Davinio Catbagan assured the public that the bureau would ensure that prices of pork would not go beyond P180 a kilogram.
“We see prices stabilizing as soon as pork supply normalizes, which [Lim] said would be by the middle of the year,” Catbagan said. Edited by INQUIRER.net
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