Philippines - Hog breeders to meet to strengthen industry

Hog breeders in Negros Occidental will hold the 1st Negros Occidental Hog Congress on November 10 to 12 at the Panaad Stadium in Bacolod City that is intended to come up with a common stand to strengthen the backyard and commercial hog raising industry. The gathering organized by the Negros Occidental Hog Breeders' Multi-purpose Cooperative, will feature a forum on the different issues and concerns of hog farmers and an organizational meeting to form an alliance of swine raisers. There will also be a Para-Vets Convention as well as seminars, food and exhibit booths, live animals, games, door prizes and fellowship, the group announced days ago. Booths of different towns and cities will display agricultural products, including organic crops. The NOHBMC, which also assists its members in procuring feeds and medicines at a lower cost, has been coordinating its activities with the Province of Negros Occidental, it said. It said that Gov. Joseph Marañon has seen a need to link up the different sectors of the industry, including hog breeders, fatteners, raw material suppliers, feed millers, veterinary companies, food processors and meat buyers, to enhance industry coordination, the group said in a statement. Records of the Provincial Veterinary Office show that Negros Occidental has a sow population of 40,000, only 5,000 of which belong to the commercial farms, it said. This means that almost 88 percent are raised by backyard breeders.