Government urged to start campaign promoting local agriculture products

MANILA, Philippines — One of the country’s biggest poultry distributors is urging the government to launch a nationwide campaign that will promote homegrown agriculture products to support the local industry and speed up the recovery from economic recession brought by the COVID-19 pandemic.

“If the government can launch a high profile promotions campaign before the international community to encourage foreign investments, it can also have a nationwide promotion campaign that will encourage people to patronize local products,” Stephanie Nicole Sarmiento, Vitarich Corp. executive vice president and head of corporate management services, said.

Sarmiento was referring to the “Make It Happen” campaign organized by the Department of Trade and Industry and the United Kingdom Government Communications Service International last Nov. 24 for UK investors.

She said the proposed local campaign should include the poultry industry, which is one of the sectors heavily hit by the pandemic.

“One of the sectors that badly needs support are the chicken growers and their workers. They should not be forgotten. To help them rise again, the government should promote homegrown ones even when importation of similar products is allowed,” she said.

As the industry prepares for a “new normal” scenario, Sarmiento said her company continues to look after the welfare of employees as well as provide consumers with safe and good quality chicken products.

Last month, Vitarich received the Certificate of Registration for HACCP or Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points.

HACCP is a management system in which food safety is addressed through the analysis and control of biological, chemical and physical hazards from raw material production, procurement and handling to manufacturing, distribution and consumption of the product. This assures the consumer that the chicken will be of its freshest and finest quality, Sarmiento said.

Vitarich, founded in 1950, operates chicken production facilities, including feed mills, hatcheries and dressing plants.