Philippines to export pork, says DA

MANILA, Philippines—The Department of Agriculture (DA) on Monday said  it would put up five triple “A” slaughterhouses in the country to provide hog raisers top quality facilities that would enable them to export their meats abroad.

Secretary Proceso Alcala said the government would spend at least P180 million to build abbatoirs in major hog producing regions, noting that this is a gap in the country’s meat production chain.

“The President has expressed his willingness to finance a program (that will involve) the construction of triple A slaughterhouses and the installation of blast freezing equipment,” said Alcala during his speech at the opening ceremony of the Meat Safety Consciousness Week held in Quezon City on Monday.

“We will be willing to spend more than P180 million if we have to,” he added in an interview with the media after his speech. He noted that some buyers abroad are eyeing to buy Philippine pork products, but want these to be processed in AAA abbatoirs.

Triple “A” slaughterhouses require more facilities and operational procedures, which ensure the cleanliness and safety of the meats. Meats from A and AA abbatoirs are fit for local markets, while meat products processed in triple “A” abbatoirs  could be exported or sold to any market.

Alcala added that the government will work with the hog industry in two weeks to discuss the construction and operation of the slaughterhouses.

Jane Bacayo, chief of the National Meat Inspection Services (NMIS), said construction of the slaughterhouses could start in the first quarter of 2012.

The pork and storage industry urged the government to include them in the operation of the abbatoirs.  The Pork Producers Federation (Propork) and the Philippine Association of Meat Processors, Inc. (Pampi) said their members should have a say on how the abbatoirs would operate.

Propork president Edwin Chen also noted that the government should provide slaughterhouses in major hog-raising areas such Regions III and IV in Luzon.

The Philippines, Propork noted, imported some 177,000 metric tons (MT) of meat products last year. Hog producers said this led to unfair competition in the market.