LECHON SHOWDOWN IS HIGHLIGHT OF BLACK FEAST 2016

THE PHILIPPINE Native Pig Owners Network Association, Inc. (PNPONAI), in partnership with the local government of Silang in Cavite and other private and government agencies, recently held “October Black Feast 2016.” The event, which was held at the Riviera Sports & Country Club in Silang, Cavite, aimed at promoting the potential of the Philippine native pig industry, agri-tourism in Silang, and the organic produce of the local farmers.

PNPONAI president Maximillan “Ian” B. Cabriga said the event was also organized to connect farmers with the various government agencies so that the farmers could avail themselves of programs that could help them with their organic farm projects. He added that the activity likewise aims to help or motivate the farmers to become “agripreneurs” or “farmpreneurs.”

For its part, the Bureau of Animal Industry or BAI said that native pigs can be raised without the use of chemical inputs and has high economic potential for those engaged in organic swine production. It added that native pigs could easily adapt to the local conditions and are able to tolerate heat and cold environments better than imported breeds. Cabriga, who started organizing native pig raisers last year, said they intend to formalize the breeding, nutrition, and health management standards for native pigs. He says the native pig industry has a lot of potential that needs to be tapped in order to generate business prospects while at the same time, providing employment opportunities for small players.

Aside from benefiting from the lean and healthy meat of the native pigs, other byproducts like leather, which can be processed from the swine’s skin, can also be used to manufacture bags, wallets, and other similar products.

The meat of native pigs, which can be considered organic in nature, is now being processed to produce quality meat products, like sausages, ham, tocino, and other specialty meat products.

Cabriga emphasized that the demand for the native pig’s meat has been rising, and yet the available pigs were few; thus, there was the need to address the deficiency, which he said could provide bright prospects for the local entrepreneurs.

To boost the production of native pigs, he said there is the need to conduct research and development, which Cabriga said are among the priorities of the PNPONAI, together with the corresponding market research and development. “We are inspiring our fellow native pig raisers to produce more quality and native pork meat to meet the demand.”

Attended by hundreds of native pig enthusiasts and visitors coming from different areas and regions, the event also aimed to promote, in a competition, the best way of preparing and