February 16, 2021

Pilmico Foods to raise swine production

Against the existing threat of African swine fever (ASF), Pilmico Foods Corp., the food unit of listed conglomerate Aboitiz Equity Ventures Inc. (AEV), is targeting to increase its swine production capacity, Manila Bulletin reported.

Pilmico intends to continue investments in its swine raising business, while it enhances biosecurity, farm zoning, and efficiencies in the Philippine pork supply chain.

As part of the investments, the company said it is looking to further modernise pork processing at Tarlac Meatmasters, its triple-A slaughterhouse and meat cutting facility in Bamban, Tarlac. The facility has a daily slaughtering capacity of 1,500 head.

The facility is said to be equipped with the newest state-of-the-art technology, including a meats management system that gives performance information and traceability of the pigs from farm to fork.

The company however did not specify by how much it is expanding the facility's capacity.

Pilmico Food group pesident and chief executive officer Tristan Aboitiz said his company is committed to working with the government, the Department of Agriculture, the Bureau of Animal Industry, and its affiliated meat producers to ensure the "longstanding success of the agribusiness sector in the Philippines".

However, not all pork producers in the country have plans to raise capacity, and some are in fact downsizing. Last week, San Miguel Corporation announced that it was exiting swine production due to ASF transport restrictions: https://www.efeedlink.com/contents/02-09-2021/6f61dc66-0ced-43cb-8359-53ff6715edba-a181.html