November 28, 2006

 

Philippine province gets ready for beef and pork export

 

 

The province of Negros Occidental in the Philippines will produce for export the "Negros brand" beef and pork once its Triple A slaughterhouse at the export processing zone in Sagay City is completed.

 

Provincial Veterinarian Renante Decena said that meat processing plants will be opened in the export zone.

 

Decena said that local producers currently process meat at the double A slaughterhouse of Victoria's Foods for them to sell "pork- in-a-box" to Metro Manila.

 

A satellite slaughterhouse in Kabankalan City is also being utilised, he said.

 

Negros Occidental, a member of the Hog Export Board, has been identified as a meat export potential area.

 

Provincial governor Joseph Maranon said the local government is providing assistance towards the development of backyard hog raisers as it gears up to join the country's pork meat export market .

 

He said that once the Triple A slaughterhouse at the export zone is completed, about 1,000 hogs a day will be needed to meet the export demand.

 

Decena stressed that Negros Occidental is an ideal meat export processing area because it has been declared foot and mouth disease-free and is near Cebu, which is a gateway to the export market.

 

He said the province has also neighbouring province Negros Oriental in the meat export endeavour to complement the partnership of both provinces in their advocacy for organic agriculture.

 

The Philippine government is currently working to expand its pork export market to Singapore whose representatives have been inspecting export-capable Triple A hog slaughtering houses in Visayas and Mindanao which are certified FMD-free by the World Health Organization's Office International des Epizooties.