PRESIDENT Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. on Thursday urged San Miguel Corp. (SMC) to consider establishing a poultry farm in the Bangsamoro region, as the company expands its food operations in the country.
“That will help the stability in the BARMM (Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao),” he said as he led the inauguration of San Miguel Food’s poultry farm in Davao del Sur.
San Miguel Foods is a unit of SMC.
The poultry farm is equipped with controlled climate technology and biosecurity measures. It has an automated feeding and watering system, an air quality monitoring system, and an automated harvesting system.
It is one of the 12 massive facilities that will be constructed across the country.
“This facility is also expected to provide jobs to more than 1,000 Filipinos and [generate] multiple opportunities for our micro, small and medium enterprises, our farmers, their families, as well as other sectors in Hagonoy and the nearby areas,” he added.
SMC President and Chief Executive Officer Ramon S. Ang, in a speech, said the Davao del Sur poultry farm would give local corn and cassava producers a “big opportunity” as the company seeks to tap them for raw materials for feed production.
“This means they benefit from having a steady market for their goods, and at better selling prices compared to what they would get from middlemen,” he said.
In a press release, the company said it is “taking care not to impact small growers, by carefully selecting areas where farms will be built, and producing mostly dressed chickens for value-added poultry products and institutional customers.”
SMC said the Magnolia Poultry Farm in Hagonoy town could produce up to 80 million birds annually, equivalent to 200 million kilograms in terms of live weight.
“Food security is one of the most important issues of our time. Today, we reinforce our support for the Marcos administration in ensuring a food-secure Philippines. Our goal is to provide every Filipino with access to high-quality food at prices within their means. Poultry, one of the most economical source of protein, is vital to achieving this,” Mr. Ang said.
SMC said the new poultry farm also has an integrated rainwater harvesting and a comprehensive waste management system.
“Manure produced by the birds will be utilized as fertilizer for cultivating corn and cassava, essential raw materials in the production of chicken feeds,” it said.
Meanwhile, Mr. Marcos said the Philippines will soon acquire an anti-bird flu vaccine, which he said is one of the timely interventions to mitigate the adverse effects of diseases on the poultry sector.
“There is a vaccine for Avian Influenza now. So, we will acquire the Avian Influenza vaccine,” he said in Filipino.
“The vaccine for Avian Flu looks effective — we will buy to reduce the number of those being culled due to Avian Flu),” he added.
Mr. Marcos noted that the vaccine for swine flu has yet to be rolled out.
On Thursday, SMC shares at the local bourse dropped P1.20 or 1.14% to P103.80 apiece.— Kyle Aristophere Atienza and Revin Mikhael Ochave