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MANILA - The Department of Agriculture on Friday said the price of pork products is expected to remain stable as the holiday season begins.
“Based on reports from our field units, corn production is expected to reach record high this year, the highest level we achieve since we started planting corn,” Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala said.
“Because we have enough supply of corn, we don’t expect prices to pickup anytime soon,” he added.
Alcala’s assurance comes on the heels of a House member’s claim that pork producers were encountering difficulty securing feeds at fair prices.
LPGMA party-list Rep. Arnel Ty said milled soya prices have surged to as high as P36 per kilo from P27 per kilo in August, and from only P22 per kilo in July.
A rich source of protein, milled soya accounts for 25 percent of swine feed.
“The Philippines does not grow soya beans, and is totally dependent on a handful of milled soya importers. Should milled soya prices continue to climb, this surely impact local swine growers, and ultimately adversely affect pork consumers,” the legislator said.
Given this, the National Food Authority should allow extra shipments of milled soya to address the “potential” shortage in feedstock, he said.
Alcala however said swine raisers should instead stock up on corn, adding that expectations of a bumper harvest have kept local corn prices stable despite rising prices for alternative feedstock in the global market.
“The most viable option for them is to buy local corn since it is much cheaper than other grains,” he said.
Alcala said farmers will be encouraged to replant bigger areas for corn to keep up with the demand of feed millers.
The DA expects no shortage in feedstock as local feed millers have already placed orders for some 1.4 million metric tons of feed wheat, which is scheduled to arrive in the second half of this year.
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