DBM allots P70 million for production of feeds alternative

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Budget and Management has allocated almost P70 million to contributed support the commercialization of copra meal as feed alternative amid the high cost of imported commodities used in the livestock industry.

The DBM has released P69.7 million for the protein-enriched copra meal (PECM) commercialization project under the national livestock program of the Department of Agriculture (DA).

Copra meal is a byproduct of the process of extracting oil from dried coconut kernels.

The project aims to commercialize the use of PECM as a locally available feed ingredient that can substitute for imported soybean meal for local swine and poultry raisers.

Data showed PECM is 30 percent cheaper than imported soybean meal.

The project will jumpstart and expedite the commercialization of PECM as an urgent measure to cushion the impact of soaring feed raw material prices that has contribute to the increase in pork and chicken prices.

This is also part of DA’s catch-up and mitigation plan to sustain food production by enhancing grain production and limiting importation dependence of grains and by-products, such as feeds, to counter the current global crisis on food security impacted by the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

The war aggravated the lingering impact of the pandemic as it disrupted logistical movements and restricted the availability and supply of feed ingredients, such as soybean meal, feed wheat, and corn.

This eventually resulted in the spike in the prices of such commodities in the global market, especially as 30 percent of the global supply of feed grains is produced in Russia and Ukraine.

Further, the damage to the loading facilities in the US also resulted in a supply shortage of soybean meal, which also contributed to price spikes.

“This precarious situation affecting the feed milling and livestock and poultry sectors has led to the need to look for possible alternative protein sources as substitutes for imported soybean meals,” the DA said.

It noted that the project offers benefits to feed manufacturers, animal producers, and meat consumers, especially amid high inflation here and abroad.

It is also seen to reinvigorate the coconut industry as it can generate increased demand for copra meal and livelihood opportunities for coconut farmers.