Dads support calls for steady supply of animal feeds

The Cebu City Council is supporting the call of the country’s hog raisers for the national government to outline measures in order to have a steady supply of animal feeds.
In the midst of the looming crisis in rice, the National Federation of Hog Farmers Incorporated has appealed for government intervention to help the hog industry survive the escalating prices of animal feeds, as soya or corn supplies have reportedly run scarce.

In a resolution, the council is proposing that concerned government agencies should thresh out the problem and that the 17th Hog Convention and Trade Exhibits at the Cebu International Convention Center could be an appropriate venue for the industry stakeholders and the government to come up with compromise solutions. 
Food prices are soaring not only in Asia but also around the globe and people are protesting for government intervention to adopt counter measures to address the food crisis. The hog industry should not be taken for granted, the council said.

“With the government focus on addressing the rice crisis in the country, one of the sectors that seemed to have been overlooked is (that of) the hog raisers in the country, particularly in the Visayas region that is presently threatening to increase the prices of pork meat due to scarcity of supply in animal feeds,” the council said.
While the hog industry has been privately driven, government intervention is now necessary to provide the industry with good breeds and steady supply of cheap corn feeds or any available alternative feeds.

Without government support, the council said hog raisers might be forced to halt swine production that could lead to higher prices in pork meat, which could mean additional burden to consumers or the ordinary households.

Severe weather conditions, increase in the prices of fuel, as well as the uncontrolled shift in the use of farmlands to residential, commercial and industrial purposes are the factors believed to have contributed to the unwarranted increase in the prices of rice and other basic commodities, including meat and dairy products. – Joeberth M. Ocao/LPM