House OKs bill to boost PH’s animal industry

The House of Representatives has approved on third and final reading a bill strengthening the Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI) and creating an animal competitiveness enhancement fund (AnCEF) to advance the country’s animal industry and support local farmers and producers.

House Bill No. 11355, also known as the “Animal Industry Development and Competitiveness Act,” garnered 196 yes votes, three no votes, and zero abstentions.

Under the measure, the BAI will be expanded and reclassified into a line agency attached to the Department of Agriculture (DA), with authorized creation of regional and provincial offices. The Bureau will also have an office for developmental functions, within which the National Livestock Program and its functions shall be absorbed.

The National Meat Inspection Service (NMIS) will also be reorganized and strengthened to be the core regulatory office of BAI. The Philippine Carabao Center (PCC) and National Dairy Authority (NDA) will likewise be attached to and be under the direct supervision of the Bureau.

The BAI shall be headed by an administrator with the rank of an undersecretary. It is expected to create, oversee, and implement the National Animal Industry Roadmap, in consultation with relevant stakeholders.

The bill also provides for the creation of an Animal Emergency Response Task Force (AERTF) at the regional level and may be activated by the appropriate authority in the event of, or in anticipation of any animal pest or epidemic incident, or when there is a suspected or confirmed case of emerging or re-emerging transboundary animal or zoonotic disease.

In addition to the regular budget of the livestock agencies, there will also be an AnCEF, consisting of an annual appropriation of P20 billion within the next ten years.

All tariff collections from livestock, poultry, and dairy shall be automatically credited to a special account for the BAI in the general fund of the national treasury.

The AnCEF shall be annually allocated, disbursed and used as follows:

• 26% for repopulation and herd build-up, and improvement and accreditation of established breeding centers/stock farms nationwide based on the National Animal Industry Development Plan;
• 15% to the BAI for credit to the animal industry sector, to be made available in the form of credit facility, interest subsidies including negative interest loans in the case of calamities;
• 14% to Philippine Center for Postharvest Development and Mechanization (PhilMech) and Bureau of Agricultural and Fisheries Engineering for building or improving shared service facilities;
• 14% for developing and augmenting food safety, animal extension support, and training services;
• 10% for capacity recovery fund shall be allocated to BAI, as the lead agency in AERTF;
• 7% to be divided equally to PCC and NDA for herd build-up;
• 5% for animal health and welfare, native animal development programs, disease control, prevention and response, including protective surveillance, pest and disease emergency response, and conduct of research and technology advancement programs;
• 5% to be equally divided between BAI, NDA, and PCC for the development and propagation of animal and poultry feeds, forage, and fodder, particularly by providing seeds and planting materials, and ensuring easy and affordable access to small-hold farms;
• 2% to be divided between the BAI and PCC for farm school- based and/or industry-driven research and development programs, as well as technology transfer and commercialization programs and projects;
• 1% to DA-Agribusiness and Marketing Assistance Service for marketing and trade promotion activities, and price analytics such as updating of cost structure, supply value chain analysis, sensitivity analysis, and price analysis benefitting the livestock, poultry and dairy raisers; and
• 1% to the DA for the accreditation of small-hold livestock raisers into formal groups such as cooperatives or organizations.

—Giselle Ombay/AOL, GMA Integrated News