1100 M for Pampanga poultry industry sought; Piñol activates biosecurity teams
CITY OF SAN FERNANDO, Pampanga – Agriculture Secretary Manny Piñol has requested from President Duterte a 1100-million fund to cushion the impact of the avian flu on Pampanga’s poultry farm industry.
Likewise, Piñol ordered on Thursday the activation of biosecurity teams to inspect poultry, duck, and livestock farms nationwide and prevent another avian influenza outbreak.
“They will inspect the biosecurity measures and protocols being implemented in the farms in Pampanga to prevent another outbreak like this,” he said.
“I came across a broiler farm in Pampanga where obviously no biosecurity measures are in place. No fence, in the middle of the road, open and anybody can just come in.
If that is the condition of our farms, we are facing a serious problem because it is open to contamination,” Piñol added.
In a meeting with stakeholders at the capitol here, Piñol said part of the fund will be utilized for loan assistance to poultry farm owners as well as helping displaced farm workers who were badly affected by avian influenza.
“The funds would help resuscitate the farm, strengthen its production capacity and help the industry rise back from the heavy losses,” said Piñol.
He stressed that President Duterte’s administration will go out of its way to extend assistance.
The DA secretary expressed optimism they can put an end to the avian influenza outbreak as soon as the culling period of infested chicken and other poultry animals is finished. He also disclosed that it will not be until 90 days when poultry animal raisers can go back to their production.
“In every crisis there is a window of opportunity,” he said, citing there are alternative measures on how to provide a living to poultry farmers until they can resume their business.
The DA secretary said he is eyeing to turn poultry farms into fruit and vegetable farmhouse using greenhouse effect technology. There’s also the possibility of turning unwanted dung into organic fertilizer, he added. Livestock farms set for audit Piñol said audit of existing poultry, duck, and livestock farms will be subsequently conducted all over the country.
“We have to improve the biosecurity setup in the farms all over the country so a similar problem will not occur in the future,” Piñol said.
So far, 92,000 fowls have been culled. The DA chief hopes to finish the culling process within the next three days.
Some farm owners have volunteered to subject their chickens under the culling process due to lower farm gate prices.
Piñol said farm gate price for chicken is currently at 150, from 170 per head. This is higher than the 170 offered by the government for every culled fowl within the contained and controlled area in San Luis town.
“It is more advantageous (to subject their stock to culling) because they will lose more if they hang on to their stocks,” he said.
“Starting next week we will pay the farmers. We will be paying initial 131 million to the depopulated farms,” Piñol pointed out adding that the fund will come from DA’s calamity fund.
House acts
Meanwhile, the House Committee on Agriculture and Food is moving on its own to address the worrisome bird flu outbreak in San Luis, Pampanga.
This was the assurance given Thursday by Committee Chairman ANAC-IP Party-list Rep. Jose Panganiban Jr. as authorities rush to contain the situation by controlling the poultry population there.
“We’re not hands off on the issue,” Panganiban said in a text message.
“We in the Agriculture Committee are already doing some investigation albeit quietly in order to let the DA handle the situation, the House leader said.
According to Panganiban, it’s important to give the Department free rein for now for them to handle the situation without any undue pressure from the House of Representatives.
“Legislation and/or investigation will only add to the seemingly chaotic situation,” explained Panganiban. (With a report from Ellson A. Quismorio)