North Cotabato targeting Thailand’s meat market
KORONADAL CITY — A team from North Cotabato flew to Bangkok yesterday to explore opportunities in Thailand’s meat market through the Charoen Pokphand Group Co. Ltc. (CP), one of the biggest conglomerates in that country.
North Cotabato Vice-Governor Emmanuel F. Piñol led the team that left for Bangkok to meet with top officials of Charoen Pokphand, which has interests in agribusiness, retail and telecommunications.
"CP is looking for chicken and hog meat suppliers, and we are offering the province as a source for their [sic] needs. Not only do we have the capability to produce the hogs, but even the raw materials needed for feeds which is essential to the production of export-quality hog meat," a statement quoted Mr. Piñol as saying.
North Cotabato’s intention to foray in the foreign pork market came, even as Agriculture Sec. Arthur C. Yap ordered the killing of some 6,000 hogs in Bulacan province believed to have been infected with the Ebola Reston virus in a bid to prevent its spread.
Earlier, the Central Mindanao office of the Agriculture department confirmed the outbreak of hog cholera in three towns in North Cotabato that have been quarantined until late-March.
The Philippines, through Mindanao, was set to have its pilot foreign pork shipment last December to Singapore but stopped after the discovery of Ebola Reston virus in Luzon.
Mr. Piñol said he remains optimistic on the foreign market prospects of the province’s swine industry, despite the Ebola Reston outbreak in Luzon.
A big opportunity
"This is a very big opportunity for us in our effort to continuously provide better income opportunities for our people in the province," Mr. Piñol said.
The invitation to Bangkok was channeled through the Land Bank of the Philippines, which is considering to fund the "Integrated Piggery and Poultry Project for Exports in North Cotabato."
Landbank is now financing the province’s "Paghahayupan Tulong Pangkabuhayan," a private endeavor through the Braveheart Farms based in Barangay Paco, Kidapawan City.
Under the program, hogs are bought from local raisers at a price higher-than-market rates, delivered to a modern meat processing plant in Polomolok, South Cotabato, and then shipped for distribution in Manila.
Providing a better market for local hog meat is not the only target of the project.
The second phase will include the establishment of a local feed mill that will process feeds for local hog raisers at a lower price, and a piglet production center where sows will be raised and distributed to hog raisers.
Local meat vendors have expressed interest in the program and have met with Mr. Piñol.
"This program will not only increase the income-generating opportunity for our hog raisers — the bulk of which are backyard raisers — but will also benefit allied industries, as well as provide jobs for local labor," he said.
