TWG on broiler concerns formed
THE Department of Agriculture (DA) has formed a technical working group (TWG) tasked to address current concerns of the broiler industry, including collation and analysis of data on supply and demand of chicken meat.
Agriculture Secretary William D. Dar issued Special Order (SO) 197 dated March 3 that authorized the creation of the TWG for broiler concerns.
Under the SO, the TWG would be chaired by Bureau of Animal Industry Assistant Director for Production and Research Officer in Charge Dr. Rene C. Santiago.
The members of the TWG include Dr. Roland Fajardo, Dr. Jonathan Sabiniano, Mr. Alvin Dirain and Mr. Mark Villatema.
Dar has instructed the TWG to collate and analyze data related to the broiler sector, including broiler meat supply and demand and costing on the production of broiler meat.
The TWG is also tasked to develop plans and programs to operationalize the DA broiler sector road map and, at the same time, responsible for the “coordination and consultation with concerned stakeholders in addressing concerns of the broiler sector.”
The TWG will also “spearhead the development of policy recommendations for the sector in collaboration with relevant DA offices and agencies,” according to the SO.
Sought for comments, United Broiler Raisers Association (Ubra) President Elias Jose Inciong said they will keep an “open mind” regarding the creation of the TWG to address the industry’s concerns.
“My impression is that these are career people who will likewise have an open mind,” Inciong told the Businessmirror.
The broiler industry is reeling from dampened demand for chicken meat due to the stoppage of operations of the hotel, restaurant and institutional (HRI) segment, which accounts for about 30 percent of total demand, due to movement restrictions imposed by the government to control the spread of Covid-19.
The loss of the HRI segment has resulted in glut in supply and plunge in farm-gate prices last year, thus forcing some broiler raisers and even breeders to cut or stop production. Today, the industry is experiencing record-high prices of day-old chicks that have reached P50 per piece due to lack of breeder supply.
The average farm-gate price of broilers fell by 10 percent to P110 per kilogram as supply outpaced demand, which weakened due to the imposition of the price ceiling on chicken meat.
Ubra data as of February 26 showed that the average farmgate price of broilers ranged from P109.75 per kg to P110.28 per kg, depending on size.
Ubra data indicated that the average farm-gate price of regular-sized broilers declined by 9.43 percent to P110.50 per kg from the previous week’s P122 per kg.