Department of Agriculture (DA) Region IV-CALABARZON, led by Regional Director Arnel V. de Mesa, partners with the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI) Batangas Group and the Unified Batangas Hog Raisers’ Association (UNIBAT) to strengthen the Batangas hog raising industry. This three-way alliance is also supported by the Office of the Provincial Veterinarian (OPV) and the Office of the Provincial Agriculturist (OPA).

Through this partnership, they will look deeper into the region’s swine industry value chain by conducting a feasibility study to improve the swine industry; its production technology; farmers’ skills and competencies; and a competitive and sustainable value chain for swine products that includes supply inputs, production, processing of derivative products, marketing, distribution, and sales.

The group will also examine and interpret the value chain of the Batangas swine industry and identify gaps and problems, and then propose solutions and alternatives at the end of the study.

DA CALABARZON will serve as one of the lead proponents of the said study and will be providing comprehensive and relevant regional industry-specific information and improvements as may be needed in the study. 

Together with the DA, the PCCI Batangas, will take lead in obtaining information from all relevant stakeholders, government agencies, and other interested parties to allow accurate profiling of the value chain of Batangas swine producers across CALABARZON and National Capital Region including import and export segments and major market channels.

Meanwhile, UNIBAT will be providing the comprehensive and reliable information to other lead proponents as subject-matter experts, and other industry-specific information and changes necessary to be included in the study.

On the other hand, Batangas OPV and OPA will be providing swine industry-related information, manpower support, protocols, and local ordinances.

A Memorandum of Understanding is expected to be officially signed soon after the 15-day lockdown in Lipa City, Batangas is lifted to formalize and move forward with the feasibility study.

With CALABARZON being one of the top three hog-producing regions in the Philippines, this feasibility study will most likely generate a much stronger and significantly improved hog-producing industry that will eventually be able to shoot the region to the number one spot. • (MAP, DA-RAFIS)