MINDANAO NEWS

MINDANAO ENTRY OF CPF PHILS. TO BOOST CORN, HOG PROGRAMS

An executive of Asia’s biggest agro-industrial conglomerate, the Charoen Phakphond Foods Phils., will join me and North Cotabato Governor Nancy Catamco in a virtual conference which could start the expansion of CPF Philippines of its hog production operations in Mindanao.

CPF Philippines Vice Chairman Sakol Cheewakoset who was in South Cotabato last week to break ground for the 2,400-sow level hog breeding farm in Polomolok is expected to ask Gov. Catamco’s support in its expansion plan in the province.

The Polomolok hog breeding facility is a joint project of CPF Phils. and Nutrihogs, a General Santos City company owned by the couple Nathaniel and Marivet Caballero.

Last week, I asked Khun Sakol to support the Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA) in its Livestock and Hog Industry Development Program by establishing more breeding facilities especially in areas where the Mindanao Corn Grains Silo Storage facilities would be established.

Khun Sakol responded positively and asked if there would be specific areas which MinDA would recommend as prospective expansion sites.

I immediately recommended North Cotabato which has a 30-hectare Provincial Agro-Industrial Park which was established when I was Governor of the province.

The establishment of a hog-breeding facility in North Cotabato and other corn-producing provinces of Mindanao later would support the program of MinDA to boost hog production as production areas in Luzon had been hit by the African Swine Fever. I presented to the CPF Phils. executive, I recommended that the hog breeding facilities to be established by the corporation would serve as the source of fatteners to be grown in communal hog raising facilities to be owned by backyard hog raisers in a community.

The concept is to link corn farmers with the newly-opened Feed Milling facility of CPF Phils. in Polomok which the company is operating in partnership with Gensan Milling Corp., also owned by the Caballero couple. The feeds produced from the mill will also support the hog production projects to be initiated by CPF Phils. in partnership with the different local government units and independent hog raisers in areas identified as ASF Free Zones.

MinDA’s program to link up corn production with hog production is expected to boost the earnings of Mindanao farmers and turn the region into a major hog production area not only for the country but in Southeast Asia, as well.