April 25, 2007

Philippine hog sector gets boost

As the Philippines gears up for its very first pork exports to Singapore, the national government through the Department of Agriculture will construct a P50 million meat inspection laboratory in General Santos City in Mindanao, a senior agriculture official said.

DA's Assistant Secretary Salvador Salacup said the establishment of the laboratory in General Santos follows official government announcements that the country's first pork exports will be undertaken by two Mindanao-based meat processing companies.

General Santos is Central Mindanao's economic hub.

Salacup said the agency is also prepping its pork and meat exports to other countries in the Asia-Pacific region.

He said the DA has primed up the needed requirements to fulfil Singapore's strict regulations, which include the implementation of a farm inspection system and a guarantee that Mindanao pork is free from drug residues.

Salacup cited that Mindanao is recognized by the Office International des Epizooties, the international organization for animal health, as free from the dreaded foot-and-mouth disease (FMD).

Salacup added that the hog industry is facing bright opportunities as final stages of eradicating FMD in Luzon is about to be completed.

Other parts of the country like the Visayas, Palawan and Masbate have been declared as "FMD-free areas without vaccination," and have successfully remained in the past eight years, according to Salacup. By January 2008, the Agriculture department is will submit an application to the international animal health organization declaring Luzon as free from FMD.