P500M Allotted for Integrated Meat Plants

PHILIPPINES - The DA (Department of Agriculture) has initially allotted P500 million for the construction of integrated meat plants where safe meat can be produced.
calendar icon 16 October 2008
clock icon 3 minute read

Agriculture Secretary Arthur Yap recently made the announcement during the opening ceremony of the Meat Safety Consciousness Week at the National Meat Inspection Service (NMIS).

An integrated meat facility can house in a single plant all the post-production process, from slaughtering, cutting, chilling and storing of meat. NMIS said the integrated meat facility will make pork products cheaper as production will become cost-efficient.

Yap had directed until Monday to identify the possible production areas where the facilities can be set up. NMIS said ideal sites for integrated plants are those that grow raw materials for feed production like corn, reports BusinessMirror.

NMIS officer in charge Jane Bacayo said Yap has directed the agency to start putting up the facilities in December and to finish the construction by the second semester of 2009.

The DA eyed the construction of integrated meat plants as part of efforts to lower the cost of pork products and increase the demand for it among Filipino consumers.

The department had noted the huge gap in the retail prices of pork products since the liveweight price of hogs is at a range of only P65 to P85 per kilo, while pork products are sold for as much as P180 per kilo in wet markets.

Recently, the DA had pegged the “reference price” for pork products at a range of P140 to P150 per kilogram at the retail level following consultation with various stakeholders from the hog industry.

Earlier, hog raisers led by the National Federation of Hog Farmers Inc. have complained that apart from the weakening purchasing power of Filipinos, the high price of pork products at the retail level are discouraging consumers from eating pork.

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