Feed maker responds to gov’t call for agri development

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine Foremost Milling Corp. (PFMC), one of the country’s leading flour and animal feed makers, has responded to President Duterte’s call on the private sector to help more livestock raisers, fisherfolk and farmers.

PFMC officials said the company is expanding its existing micro-entrepreneurial program called “Pig Tiwala” to cover more areas in Luzon and benefit more hog raisers.

Launched in 2016, “Pig Tiwala” provides qualified hog raisers 20 heads of piglets, including hog feeds to grow them. Through the program, a hog raiser is entrusted with a value of as much as P175,000 per growing cycle. The company gets paid only upon harvest and sale of grown fatteners.

On top of the seed capital, hog farmers are supplied basic vitamins, technical assistance by PFMC veterinarians, and marketing support to ensure good margins.

To date, “Pig Tiwala” has benefitted more than 400 hog raisers in Bulacan and Pampanga, but PFMC said it would expand the program to cover Laguna, Isabela and other parts of Luzon.  

“We will continue this advocacy to promote the value of ‘tiwala’ and entrepreneurship to help Filipino hog farmers,” said Jojie Angeles, PFMC’s executive proponent. 

PFMC’s shared value or investment in the program is now close to P116 million, an amount used for piglets and company manufactured hog feeds that have been distributed among its farmer-partners since the program started last year.

With more than 25 years in the industry, PFMC supports government’s mission to increase productivity and meet growing demand for meat and other food products. 

A world-class manufacturer of quality animal feeds, PFMC’s known brands include Excel Feeds, Amigo, Lechon for swine, poultry and aqua, and Iron Claw for game fowl feeds.