GOVERNMENT authorities have allayed fears that there would be shortage of poultry products amidst rumors of recurrence of cases of avian influenza (AI) or bird flu in some parts of the country.
Agriculture secretary Francisco Tiu-Laurel Jr. said there is an overproduction of eggs now.
“Ang eggs naman natin ngayon, medyo overproduction tayo ng (For our eggs right now, we have an overproduction of) eggs. I think there’s ample supply and Batangas is a very good source for the supply. So, I don’t think there’s an issue,” he said.
Batangas is better known as the egg capital of the Philippines. Former president Rodrigo Duterte has approved a law declaring San Jose town in Batangas as the country’s “egg basket,” on April 17, 2022
Republic Act No. 11707 recognizes the local and national “economic significance” of San Jose’s egg industry. The town is producing an estimated average of 705 metric tons of eggs daily. It also has some 342 registered independent poultry farms as of June 2021.
The Batangas Egg Producers Association (BAEPA) last year said their province alone produces an estimated 30 million eggs everyday, led by San Jose town.
“The proximity of San Jose to Batangas City, Lipa City and to the Metro Manila areas ensures the municipality of commercial linkages. Poultry is the most sustainable major meat compared to pork and chicken,” Senate Bill No. 2044 read.
“San Jose’s poultry production continues to provide higher income for farm owners, generate thousands of direct and Indirect jobs, bring in revenues to the local government, and feed the Filipino population,” it added.
Earlier this week, there were reports of incidence of bird flu in the province of Tarlac, but as of this writing, Laurel said that the the Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI) has not received any official report from the local government of Tarlac of such an incident.
Meanwhile, Agriculture Assistant Secretary Constante Palabrica reported that BAI has already received blood samples from three unidentified farms in Tarlac.
“…we have a modern AI laboratory in BAI… Once they come out with the sasabihin nila (they will say) AI negative, don’t doubt it. When they say AI positive, don’t doubt,” he said citing a “reliable” facility for AI confirmatory assessment.
The demand on poultry products relatively increased with the reported cases of African Swine Fever (ASF) in several town of the region. The DA reported cases of ASF in the town of Lobo, and the cities of Batangas and Lipa.| – Joenald Medina Rayos
