June 14, 2016

Vitarich sets up feed mill in Mindanao, Philippines

Vitarich Corp. recently held a groundbreaking ceremony of its new poultry feed mill in Panacan, Mindanao, the Philippines.

Located on a four-hectare compound, the new PHP250 million (US$5.4 million) facility will be Halal-certified and is in addition to an aqua mill plant in Bunawan which will be launched this July. The sites will help fulfill demand of the growing economy and populations in Mindanao, especially Davao City.

"We are growing by 10 to 15 percent here, we can say that our expansion now is focused in Mindanao, especially for poultry and aquatic products as we can see business is growing," Stephanie Nicole Sarmiento-Garcia, Vitarich's treasurer and chief finance officer, said, adding the company has its largest chicken numbers in Mindanao.

"There are actually a lot of people to feed here in Mindanao, we just have to align ourselves to the way the diversity of Mindanao is."

The feed mill, which will be established in collaboration with Davao South Feedmill Corp., is set to be ready by the third quarter of 2016. When operational, it will run a capacity of 10 tonnes hourly.

"This is to enable Vitarich Mindanao operations have the additional capacity particularly in the production of broiler feeds," Edilberto Manuel, Davao South's manager for the Visayas-Mindanao operations, said.

Vitarich's expansion in Mindanao banks on the promises of incoming President-elect Rodrigo Duterte who voices support for the Philippines' agriculture industry, according to Garcia.

"With his promises on supporting agribusiness, we are more encouraged to invest..," she said.