The price of dressed chicken should not be more than P100 a kilogram (kg) at the retail level since farm- gate prices have even gone down in recent weeks, according to poultry raisers.

Gregorio San Diego Jr., president of the United Broiler Raisers Association (Ubra), said in an interview that farm-gate prices are now down to between P60/kg to P62/kg, from P65/kg registered two weeks ago.

“There is no shortage of chicken. In fact, farm-gate prices even went down and demand has remained relatively flat,” said San Diego.

Based on the monitor of the Bureau of Agricultural Statistics (BAS) as of March 11, the prevailing price of whole chicken in major wet markets is at P110 a kilogram. Some wet markets even retail the produce at P120 a kilo.

“It should not go beyond P100 if the basis is the existing farm-gate prices of chicken,” he said.

Meanwhile, the Ubra official noted that poultry raisers are already incurring losses because their production cost is already at P64 a kilo due to the high cost of feeds and other feed materials, such as coconut oil.

“Coconut oil is now at P70 a kilo, from P28 a kilo two years ago. Production cost for the whole of 2008 is expected to increase by 21 percent, but demand for chicken products is expected to remain flat,” said San Diego.

He hinted at the possibility that some poultry raisers may resort to certain interventions, such as cutting back on production if only to stop bleeding.

The increasing tightness in the supply of certain grains, such as wheat and corn, is now making it harder for the livestock and poultry sector to survive.

Raw materials for making feeds, such as corn, have been climbing due to the tightness in supply in the international market.

In the domestic front, corn prices have already breached the P13/kg level. Four years ago, the price of yellow corn was between P9.50/kg to P10/kg.

Earlier, the livestock and poultry sector said importing the produce is no longer a viable option since the landed price of imported corn is already comparable with the existing price in the local market.

The price of dressed chicken should not be more than P100 a kilogram (kg) at the retail level since farm- gate prices have even gone down in recent weeks, according to poultry raisers.

SUBIC BAY—Noting the failure by subcontractors to implement even commonsense safety measures that would have prevented the recent fatal accidents at the Hanjin shipyard here, the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) on Thursday said it would close down companies found to disregard safety requirements at the jobsite.

THE National Food Authority (NFA) disclosed that Hanoi has committed to deliver some 10,000 metric tons (MT) of rice to the Philippines under the East Asia Emergency Rice Reserve (EAERR).

Since the 2005 World Trade Organization (WTO) ministerial conference in Hong Kong, the Philippines—as a key member of the so-called G-20 and Nama 11—has maintained that negotiations for new multilateral trade modalities should be sequential with agriculture going ahead first, followed by industrial goods and services.

KABASALAN, Zamboanga Sibugay—A small group of municipal fishermen-turned-fish-cage operators in this town are going big time with their innovative livelihood projects, transforming their community into an ecotourism destination with the support of the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR).

KABALASAN, Zamboanga, Sibugay—if you happen to see a bottled calamansi juice in the market, check the label and most probably, the nutritious, ready-to-drink beverage was manufactured by the Nazareth Women’s Association from this chiefly calamansi-producing town. 

KABASALAN, Zamboanga Sibugay—Agrarian-reform beneficiaries who took over the 920-hectare rubber plantation of Philippine Rubber Project Co. Inc. in this town have found more opportunities for work.