HAGONOY, Davao del Sur (PIA) -- San Miguel Corporation president and chief executive officer Ramon S. Ang assured small farmers and market enterprises that the mega poultry farm in Hagonoy, Davao del Sur, along with 11 other mega poultry farms to be built across the country, will not compete with small chicken farmers and wet market stalls.

“These poultry productions will go to the dressing plant and converted to become ready-to-eat, luto na, cooked, and fresh, so therefore, pagka ang shelf life nyan six months, hindi tayo nagmamadali magcocompetensiya sa mga maliliit na farmers,” Ang said.

He said their products will not go to the market, adding, “Patuloy pa rin  yung ating backyard nagro-grower.”

Ang also said that following the directive of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos to partner with local farmers, the project in Hagonoy has partnered with the farmers’ cooperative in the area.

“900 families po ito, ito ang partner natin sa Davao,” Ang said of their local partners, ECJ Davao Farms Agrarian Reform Multipurpose Cooperative.

That’s the way that we should do it kung ano ang kailangan ng private sector kung kayang gawin, kayang ibigay, kayang mag-incentive, kayang mag-exemption whatever it is needed kung kayang gawin ng gobyerno, gagawin talaga ng gobyerno to encourage investments sa ganitong klaseng operation,” President Marcos said during the tour of the facility.

The SMC top honcho took President Marcos on a tour around the facility, which is expected to produce 80 million heads of chicken a year, equivalent to 200 million kilos in live weight.

The President was impressed with the sophisticated poultry facility, which has a modern farm layout, controlled climate technology, strict biosecurity measures, an automated feeding and watering system,an  air quality monitoring system, efficient waste management, and an automated harvesting system.

“Ngayon lang ako nakakita ng ganito, ng ganitong kalaki, ganito ka extensive sa buong Pilipinas, kaya we should encourage everybody na there are very many options and many opportunities for the production of food,” the president said during the tour. (RGA/PIA Davao)