03 Pebrero, 2025 Lunes
election campaign period, gun ban in effect
Love Month in iskup
No to Divorce!!!
Get well soon Nanay Angelita Santiago-Lopez, Happy 91st birthday Nanay
No to SOGIE bill
Congratulations Marked Men for Christ Philippines Seminar, January 30,31,February 1,2025, Kabaleyan Cove, San Carlos City, Pangasinan
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ABS 2025
Producers see glut in “egg shortage”
By Nidz Godino
“We don’t have shortage when it comes to table eggs in April or May…we are even expecting oversupply this year as our production this year is projected to exceed production last year,” Philippine Egg Board Association president Francis Uyehara said egg producers allayed fears of possible shortage of egg supply, saying oversupply is even expected as production this year will exceed total output in 2024.
Uyehara said for the first quarter of 2025 alone, they see 15 percent increase in egg production.
He stressed egg producers will schedule meeting with Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. to clarify issue.
“We don’t know who gave that information to the Secretary as we have regular meetings with him with group of Philippine Chamber of Agriculture and Food Inc…we gave regular consultation on this issue…we don’t know source of information as we are also surprised about the news on possible egg shortage,” Uyehara said.
He warned traders may take advantage of situation and would implement unnecessary increases in retail price of eggs.
Uyehara said farmgate price of medium sized eggs remains low between P5.60 and P6.40 per piece, adding that retail price of eggs should not exceed P8 per piece.
Based on monitoring of Department of Agriculture (DA) in Metro Manila markets, retail price of medium sized eggs ranged between P7.30 and P9 per piece.
“Farmers suffered losses last summer in 2024…as result, they decreased their production… effect was experienced in June, July, August, September…when retail price of eggs started to go up last year, our egg producers started to repopulate with expected increase in demand during holidays,” Uyehara added.
According to Uyehara, starting November 2024, retail price of eggs has stabilized as there was already sufficient supply.
“During months of November and December last year, there was ample supply of table eggs,” he said.
Uyehara noted starting January this year, there has been oversupply of eggs as consumption abruptly decreased after Christmas season.
He said farmgate price of eggs has decreased by P1 per piece after demand in December 2024.
At the same time, Uyehara said bird flu being experienced in Europe and United States where parent stocks layers are sourced will not affect production this year as egg producers were able to import at least 700,000 parent stocks last year.
Uyehara said what is needed is to fast-track approval of avian influenza vaccine to protect poultry population.
Hog farmers’ group National Federation of Hog Farmers Inc. (NatFed) said no need to implement maximum suggested retail price (SRP) on pork after DA said it is considering its imposition amid high retail price in markets.
NatFed vice chairman Alfred Ng added SRP was not proven effective in bringing down retail price of farm products.
“There is really disconnect between retail price and farmgate of liveweight,” Ng said.
Ng noted farmgate price only ranged between P220 and P240 per kilo but based on monitoring of DA, pork is still sold for as high as P460 per kilo.
According to Ng, traders want additional profits, causing high retail price of pork.
At the same time, he said demand for pork is expected to continue until May and June because of midterm elections.
“It’s campaign period, so politicians release funds whether it is local government units or national, people have extra funds to buy pork,” he added.
Ng said retail price of pork is expected to go down as hog producers, particularly those in Batangas, started to repopulate after being affected by African swine fever last year.
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