Hog farmers hold convention

The National Federation of Hog Farmers Inc. (NFHFI) held its 14th convention, themed "Galing ng Pinoy! Galing ng Pinoy Pork!," on May 26 to 27 at the Olongapo City Convention Center (OCCC).

In his welcome remarks, Sen. Manuel A. Roxas II urged the NFHFI and the hog industry to strengthen their ranks and unite against the unstoppable onslught of globalization, and encouraged "unity and cooperative action to compete against the big companies eating into the market share." He also urged the industry to get rid of segments that effected unnecessary barriers to globalization.

The 14th Hog Farmers Convention included the first-ever participation of the food manufacturers represented by the Philippine Association of Meat Processors Inc. (PAMPI). For the first time in almost 16 years, the NFHFI, represented by Gabriel H. Uy signed a memorandum of understanding with PAMPI, represented by its executive director Francisco J. Buencamino. Both parties agreed to integrate efforts to improve, unite and strengthen the nation’s food manufacturing industry through a broad range of strategies meant to bridge diverse approaches in matters as broad as policies on international and regional issues, and as specific such as continuing research and training and development programs in agricultural, agribusiness and rural communities.

The main purpose of the MOU is to stabilize prices of food from livestock production through the promotion and enhancement of business cooperation between the pork producer, the NFHFi - and the food manufacturers, PAMPI. The MOU further endeavors to design and implement a pork promotion campaign to increase consumption as a means of achieving more economical levels of production, processing, marketing and distribution; establish and strengthen industry cooperation; and launch collaborative projects on improving the economics of the pork industry. For the first time, the NFHFI and PAMPI agree to establish and implement a joint task force that will, on its own, formulate objectives, plans and targets for the implementation of research and development programs.

The 14th Hog Farmers Convention included delegates from Bulacan, Tarlac, Nueva Ecija and Pampanga in Central Luzon, all the way up to northern Zambales. It was co-orgaized with Boehringer Ingelheim A.H., Broadchem Corporation, Hipra Philippines Inc., Robichem Laboratories, Novartis, Pfizer Animal Health and PAMPI and presented by Kanayunan Techno-Transfer Group Inc.