February 26, 2009

Poultry farmers in the Philippines this year may limit chicken layers imports to 360,000 to avoid egg supply glut in the domestic market, the National Egg Board said.

Data from the Bureau of Animal Industry show that in 2008, the Egg Board limited shipment of parent layers to 350,000, down from the record-high imports of 442,326 layers in 2007, which resulted in oversupply. While farmers violated last year's import limit by 7,532, the excess will be deducted from this year's cap. Imports had been growing to 442,326 in 2007 from 287,663 in 2006 and 198,287 in 2005, Bureau of Animal Industry data show.

During the third Egg Summit in the Agriculture department's head office in Quezon City yesterday (February 25), officials of the National Federation of Egg Producers of the Philippines, Inc. (NFEPP), Integrators and Egg Conference of the Philippines (IECP), and party-list Agricultural Sector Alliance of the Philippines presented the import target for the year.

IECP President Edwin G. Chen during the forum said the country cannot afford overproduction because the "industry will suffer".

Parent layers, which will be raised to produce eggs to be sold in the domestic market, cost E5-E6 (US$6.35 to US$7.62) apiece, according to Chen.

The import quotas will be allocated to Bounty Farms, Inc. with 160,000 layers; Console Farms Corp. with 11,000; Heritage Veterinary Corp. with 38,000; Junica Breeders Farm, Inc. with 11,000; Universal Robina Corp. with 102,000; Pan-Asia Agri Ventures, Inc. with 32,000; and San Andres Livestock with 6,000 layers.

The Egg Board also plans to collect P0.05 to P0.10 for every layer sold to local farmers to collect at least P5.1 million to fund egg promotion to spur consumption.

Egg Board president Gregorio San Diego noted that each Filipino eats 88 eggs per year, compared to 350 eggs for each Malaysian and 140 eggs per Thai.