DA, industry players drafts rehabilitation and recovery plan for poultry industry in East Visayas

DA, industry players drafts rehabilitation and recovery plan for poultry industry in East Visayas

By: Erlinda Olivia P. Tiu

TACLOBAN CITY, Leyte, February 3 (PIA) – The Department of Agriculture (DA) Regional Office No. 8, together with the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) and the Eastern Visayas Chamber of Commerce and Industry (EVCCI) jointly conducted the Regional Rehabilitation and Recovery Planning Workshop of the Poultry Industry Players in Region 8 on January 15, 2014 at the Sabin Resort Hotel, Ormoc City.

The planning workshop which sought to encourage the participation of the private sector, brought together more than fifty contract growers and integrators from all over the region.

The participation of the poultry industry players proved useful in generating inputs relative to the local industry for the inclusion in the Eastern Visayas – Yolanda Rehabilitation and Recovery Plan (EV-YRRP).

The participants reported the quantities and cost of the damages and losses incurred in their poultry production. Since some poultry growers were not able to attend the whole day workshop, the integrators themselves committed to gather the needed data from those who were absent and submit the consolidated report to DA.

Moreover, a roundtable discussion was facilitated to map out the problems faced by the poultry raisers and identify interventions that will help revive the local industry.

Dr. Anthea L. Naputo and Dr. Renato P. Distrajo of the Livestock Operations Division of DA-RFO 8 served as facilitators.

Among the issues and concerns that cropped up included among others, the possibility of providing moratorium or consideration in the collection of fees as they have suffered much loss due to the calamity; access to a convenient loan window or program considering that most of the growers have to start from scratch; access to basic resources such as electricity and other logistics needed for the operation of the facilities, as well as various impediments encountered in availing of the government’s programs and services.

The NEDA-8, through its Plan and Policy Formulation Division Chief Meylene C. Rosales assured the participants that her office will submit and endorse the final output of the planning workshop to the higher authority or agencies, at the same time, will keep the participants abreast with the development or status of the said report.

Meanwhile, the Philippine Crop Insurance Corporation (PCIC) invited the participants to avail of the various insurance products and services of the agency to protect their production investments against agricultural risks, such as typhoons, floods, as well as pests and diseases, both in crops and animals.

With the involvement of key movers of the poultry industry in the region, DA-8 OIC-Regional Technical Director for Operations and Extension Dr. Jenny Lyn R. Almeria expressed hope that the event will provide a sound basis for the formulation of plans and interventions of the government.

In her message, RTD Almeria said that in order to set clearer directions for the said industry and rebuild better, we must first embark on enabling the grassroots level to be heard - articulate their needs and determine who would do what so that projects that will be undertaken are highly responsive to their own needs.

Also present during the activity were NEDA Regional Director Bonifacio S. Uy and EVCCI Regional Governor Atty. Roy Bernard C. Fiel whom NEDA people have acknowledged as the brainchild of the said activity. (PIA 8)

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