MANILA, February 5 ------ The Department of Agriculture (DA) assured actions are being taken to avert a looming shortage and consequent egg price hike in the second quarter of the year. The looming shortage is due to the effects of last year’s losses due to oversupply and a drop in egg prices.
In an ambush interview, Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. last year’s losses forced some local producers to cull their layers, leading to a decrease in the population of egg-laying hens. “Bumagsak ang presyo sa farm gate ng PHP4 na piso bawat piraso. Maraming nalugi. Iyong mga nalugi naman, kinatay nila yung mga layers nila para magkaroon ng cash,” Tiu Laurel said. He is hoping that egg prices would not increase from its current level – which stands between PHP8 and PHP9 per piece – or just a minimal increase by April. “May chance pa naman ma-avert itong ating sinasabi ko sa Abril dahil Pebrero pa lang naman. But at least, looking forward, we know there's a problem and we will act on it,” Tiu Laurel assured.
He said among the actions being taken by the DA include the mass rollout of avian influenza (AI) vaccines under monitored release that is being eyed around March to April, despite the Philippines having no active or positive case of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in the country to date. The DA chief said the move is aimed at preventing a crisis similar to what the United States is currently experiencing due to the continuous spread of HPAI, including the rare strain of bird flu called H5N9.
He said 145 million chickens have already been culled in the US due to HPAI. Tiu Laurel, who just came from the US, noted that because of the crisis, a carton of eggs (one dozen) is being sold to as high as USD4.15 (roughly PHP242 or PHP20 per egg), with purchase restrictions to one to two cartons in supermarkets. He said the DA is also ready to assist local producers on importation. “Ang pinakamalaking tulong maibibigay ng gobyerno sa DA sa industriya is to facilitate iyong pag-import ng mga bagong layers into the country, ma-fast track iyan. I will be setting a meeting with them (stakeholders) very soon,” Tiu Laurel said.
He also called on financial institutions to step up and support local producers. “The best thing is sana iyong mga financial institution ay mabigyan ng pautang iyong ating mga egg industry and let them repopulate,” Tiu Laurel said.
Source: pna.gov.ph
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