June 7, 2010
Philippines' free-range chicken farmers seek growth, gourmet status
Growers of free-range chicken in the Philippines are expanding their operations with a view to posting a 5-percent growth this year and the product getting classified as gourmet food.
The sector grew less than 0.5 percent last year.
Arestina Morados-Papillon, president of Philippine Association of Free-range Poultry Advocates Inc., on Monday (June 7) said that they are focused on A, B market and their chickens should be classified as gourmet as these cost double than the regular White Leghorn being sold in supermarkets and wet markets.
Though not necessarily organic, free-range chickens often have colorful feathers and are considered mature at 56 to 81 days, giving the birds a premium price. The term refers to growing poultry in an open pasture, while the industrial method raises birds in cramped coops.
Morados-Papillon said they are hopeful that they can export as Europe is into "slow-growing chicken thing".
In an effort to evolve as an authority on free-range chicken cultivation, the group is now drafting a standard for free-range poultry raising.
The association said it wants to be accredited in the global market as the frontrunner in the propagation of free-range chicken in the Philippines.
Bounty Fresh Food Inc., Solraya's Sunshine Chicken, and Pamora Farm are the popular commercial growers of free-range chicken in the Philippines. The three, together with about a hundred smaller farms, make up the association.
Pamora Farm in Abra province sells about 3,000 dressed, free-range chickens per day at PHP240 (US$5.12) per kilo.
Bounty Fresh's Kenneth Chen, who is also the association's vice president, said his company produces free-range chicken through contract-growing deals with farmers.
Chen said Bounty has already a number of contract growers nationwide. He said that in exchange for the company's service, the company supplies them with the chicks, feed and technical support to successfully grow out the chicken to commercial size.
Bounty Fresh, a division of Bounty Agro-Ventures Inc., also produces animal feed and chicken eggs.
