March 3, 2009

Officials from North Cotabato, Philippines, flew to Bangkok last week to explore opportunities in Thailand's meat market through the Charoen Pokphand Group Co. Ltd. (CPG).

North Cotabato Vice-Governor Emmanuel F. Pinol led the team that left for Bangkok to meet with top officials of CPG which has interests in agribusiness, retail and telecommunications.

Pinol said CPG is looking for chicken and hog meat suppliers, adding that Philippines has the capability to produce the hogs and also raw materials needed for feeds which is essential to the production of export-quality hog meat.

North Cotabato's intention to venture in the foreign pork market came, even as Agriculture Secretary Arthur Yap ordered the killing of some 6,000 hogs in Bulacan province believed to have been infected with the Ebola Reston virus in a bid to prevent its spread.

The Philippines, through Mindanao, was set to have its pilot foreign pork shipment last December to Singapore but stopped after the discovery of Ebola Reston virus in Luzon.

Pinol said he remains optimistic on the foreign market prospects of the province's swine industry despite the Ebola Reston outbreak in Luzon.

The invitation to Bangkok was channeled through the Land Bank of the Philippines, which is considering funding the "Integrated Piggery and Poultry Project for Exports in North Cotabato."

Under the programme, hogs are bought from local raisers at prices higher-than-market rates, delivered to a modern meat processing plant in Polomolok, South Cotabato, and then shipped for distribution in Manila.

The second phase will include the establishment of a local feed mill that will process feeds for local hog raisers at a lower price, and a piglet production centre where sows will be raised and distributed to hog raisers.