DA urges poultry farmers to begin exporting chicken to S. Korea

The Department of Agriculture is urging farmers to start exporting choice chicken cuts to South Korea, after the country approved the Philippines’ request to export frozen chicken parts to Seoul. South Korea approved the request in April after finding the Philippines compliant with international safety and regulatory standards. Medium-  and large-sized chicken will be included for export; South Korea had previously accepted only small-sized chickens. “We did our part. We already have approval from SoKor to bring in our chicken products. Now I am asking the private sector to do their share,” Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala said in an interview over the weekend. “I think it’s about time that they do the talking. I don’t want [the private sector] thinking that the government always meddles with business affairs of private companies,” said Alcala. The poultry producers he was referring to range from big companies such as Bounty Fresh and Magnolia to small to medium poultry raisers under the United Broilers and Raisers Association. The Philippines is presently one of the few Asian countries that is free of avian influenza. It has also been accredited as a foot-and-mouth disease-free country without vaccination. — BM, GMA News