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Thai firm further boosts DA swine rehab, repopulation program

May 27, 2021 Cory Martinez 545 views

THE swine rehabilitation and repopulation program of the Department of Agriculture was further boosted with the participation of a Thailand-based agro-industrial and food conglomerate into the program.

DA Secretary William Dar together with the Development Bank of the Philippines (DBP) forged a memorandum of agreement with the Charoen Pokphand Foods Philippines Corporation (CPFPC), which aims to revive the country’s swine industry.

The signing of the MOA signals the start of the implementation of the “Swine Rehabilitation, Repopulation and Recovery Credit” or Swine R3 program. The program will finance bio-secured farm projects and support the national government’s efforts in reviving the local swine industry adversely affected by the African Swine Fever (ASF).

“This is a welcome development for us at the DA as we pursue joint efforts to control ASF and repopulate ASF-free areas. With CPFPC’s technological expertise in modern bio-secured farms and DBP’s support in providing credit assistance to eligible public and private institutions, we will be able to level up our efforts in reviving the industry,” Dar said.

DBP President and CEO Emmanuel Herbosa p, meanwhile, said that through this partnership, the national government will be able to elevate and expedite its swine repopulation and rehabilitation initiatives that will eventually allow the country to recover to its pre-ASF status.

“Through this program, we hope to assist in the recovery of our hog industry and eventually contribute to the country’s food security,” Herbosa said.

The DBP explained that the “Swine R3” credit program borrowers include duly registered private enterprises and local government units (LGUs). The loan should be used for the construction of bio-secured swine farms, and acquisition of farm machineries and equipment. Eligible projects include swine breeder farms, swine wean-to-finish farms, and consolidated swine facility projects.

For his part, CPFPC Vice Chairman Khun Sakol Cheewakoset expressed his sincerest gratitude and thanksgiving for the trust that was given to their company to help in the recovery of the Philippine swine industry through the DBP’s credit program.

“Through this partnership, we will be able to share our knowledge in helping boost a sustainable business climate not only for our company, but also for our Filipino farmer-partners. Our state-of-the-art bio-secured farms enable us to be resilient from ASF, thus making our business a success. Moving forward, this will also open export opportunities for the Philippines. We assure and commit to you our continuous support in investing in the Philippines,” Cheewakoset said.

Dar, on the other hand, expressed his gratitude on the partnership with a well-known company such as the CPFPC, who extends help to the government to revive the country’s swine industry.

“They (CPFC) have the technologies and the modern systems in managing ASF, especially when it comes to biosecurity measures. I hope the CPFPC can expand their operations in regions near the NCR, where the country’s main pork market is,” the DA chief said.

“When we rolled out the Integrated National Swine Production Initiatives for Recovery and Expansion or INSPIRE program, we emphasized the whole-of-nation approach. We galvanized support from the private sector, financing institutions, and local government units (LGUs) and commit to strongly implement the hog repopulation program. We are glad that this is slowly coming into fruition,” Dar added.

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