THE Provincial Veterinary Office (PVO) of Negros Occidental is banking on private sector initiatives to improve the province’s egg sufficiency level.
Provincial Veterinarian Renante Decena said the province, with an average daily egg consumption of 1.6 million pieces, has a supply deficit of 40 percent.
Decena recalled that after the onslaught of Typhoon Yolanda in 2013, Negros Occidental can hardly supply the requirement so the challenge for the government now is to provide immediate livelihood while improving the local egg production.
“The government can implement development initiatives, but it would still be up to the private sector to sustain and expand these interventions,” he said, adding that “the investments must really come from the private side.”
Decena said that since livestock is a private-led industry, unlike crops where most subsidies are coming from the government, “the private sector should be the one supporting the latter.”
Decena, along with Governor Alfredo Marañon Jr. led the turnover of the layer project worth almost P3 million to various recipients in rites held at the Negros First Negosyo Center in Bacolod City Thursday.
The project, with components like 30 units of layer cages and 3,000 heads of ready-to-lay pullets, is under PVO’s Negros First Animal Livelihood Program.
The recipients included paravet associations, groups of pastors, state colleges and universities, hog raisers associations, senior citizen and youth organizations in the province, and the City Government of Sipalay.
Decena said the raisers, who are now challenged to become entrepreneurs, can already start making profit upon delivery of these hens.
He added that with at least 96 heads per recipient, they can be able to earn an average P300 per day which they can use to “roll-over” for expansion.
Under the program, PVO has an agreement with the associations that the latter will take charge of the monitoring and expansion of the project.
Unlike the previous contracts, the recipients will no longer pay back the province. Instead, the project will now be a donation to the associations to enable them to replenish, expand and produce more.
“This livelihood project is really aimed at improving the raisers’ status of living,” Decena said. “With stronger private sector, we are optimistic to fully cover our deficit in eggs.”
He said the Provincial Government plans to establish a hatchery and breeder farm, however, the government process is quite long thus they are encouraging the private sector to venture in this profitable enterprise.
Marañon urged farmers and raisers to continue working hard and have the positive mindset as he assured them that the province will do its best to extend necessary support.
The governor said the government has been helping the farmers, and ensuring the success of the project will depend on them.
“We hope that this group would be able to propagate this livelihood initiative,” he said, adding that “if successful, more support will come from the government.”
After the turn-over activity, recipients attended the training on layer production and management.
PVO tapped poultry veterinary services technical specialists and personnel of Cebu-based feeds company Pilmico Foods Corp. to discuss layer health management, feeding and nutrition, and quality egg and marketing, among others.
“This training is a capability building activity that would enable poultry raisers to boost layer production and management,” Decena said.
