Lessons from Texas! Hog, Poultry Growing Parks To Boost Food Production

Amarillo, Texas – My Texan friend and Sorghum seed producer, Coby Kriegshauzer, yesterday brought me to a Cattle Feedlot in Amarillo which turns out an estimated 100,000 cattle yearly.

What was remarkable with the feedlot was its proximity to a Corn and Sorghum Flaking facility where feeds were dropped by a spout to a container with built-in mixer.

The trucks in turn poured the mixed feeds into the feeding troughs at a designated time.

The feed processing facilities are located right in the middle of the Corn and Sorghum Production Areas.

It was then when I realized how efficient the system was in cutting down production cost.

Hindi na lumabas pa sa Amarillo ang mais at Sorghum, bagkus dinala lang sa feed processing facility.

Since the feed processing facility is located right in the midst of the cattle feedlot, there was no need to place the feeds in bags or containers to be transported to distant areas.

Again, considerable savings on the cost of production which could lower the price of the beef.

Naisip ko agad na puede nating gawin ito sa Pilipinas.

In fact, this is roughly the same strategy in the implementation of the Mindanao Hog and Poultry Program which I initiated when I was Chairman of the Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA).

Kung meron tayong mga Export Processing Zones, puede din kaya ang Hog and Poultry Production Parks in key Corn and Sorghum Production Areas?

Gobyerno ang magpatayo ng mga hog fattening facilities at mga broiler tunnel vents na aarkilahan lang ng mga local growers.

Para din lang EPZA where we offer so many incentives, including tax holidays, to foreign investors.

In an enclosed area, strict bio-security measure could be imposed and proper waste management could be implemented.

With the Hog and Poultry Production Parks puede nang mag-alaga ng baboy at manok ang mga pamilyang kapos sa kapital because the infrstructure will be built by government.

Mawawala na rin yong problema ng mga ECC requirements at LGU permits.

More than that, the quality of the pork and chicken produced in the Parks would have consistent and uniform quality since the feeds will come from one source.

With the abattoir and dressing plants located right inside the Park, thousands of jobs would be available for the local people.

Magiging mura din ang karne ng baboy at manok at mababawasan na ang importasyon.

This a lesson learned in my quick visit to Texas which we could replicate in the Philippines.

This is getting to be very exciting.

#KungGustoMaramingParaan!

#FarmIsTheBestClassroom!

#GovernanceIsCommonSense!

Source: Manny Piñol FB Page