Meriden targets swine industry in Philippines with seminar

Meriden Animal Health recently held a seminar for customers in Davao, Southern Philippines, entitled "Key Solutions to Swine Intestinal Health." The Meriden swine seminar was held in conjunction with Vethealth Corporation, Meriden's distributor in the Philippines and Vethealth's dealer, Li-Dav Agribis Inc. The aim of the seminar was to introduce Meriden's pioneering product range to 25 key customers within the swine industry.
The products introduced to the delegates included Orego-Stim, a 100 percent natural phytobiotic which works in the gut to improve the overall health of all types of livestock animals.
Vethealth Corporation was represented by Marielle Occidental, who prepared the opening speech and introduced the company to the delegates. Dr. Chloe Loh from Meriden Animal Health presented the technical product information and hosted the question and answer (Q&A) session.
Dr. Chloe Loh said: "The seminal was very successful, with the participants curious and eager to know more about Meriden's products during the Q&A. There was also time for more individual discussion during the buffet dinner, which followed afterwards."

Philippines poultry, hog producer planned strike could open market to imported meat

The Philippines Department of Agriculture is asking poultry and hog producers not to go through with a planned strike, saying that the five-day "chicken and pork holiday" could open the country's domestic market to frozen and imported products.
Poultry and hog growers have warned that they will stage the holiday for a maximum of five days if the government does not make good on its promise to crack down on smugglers of meat who threaten the livelihood of back-yard hog raisers and small-time poultry growers. The National Federation of Hog Farmers Inc. said the planned strike is not meant to penalize consumers but is one way of getting their message across to the government.
The increase in the production costs of small poultry growers and hog raisers coupled with the unabated smuggling of meat are crippling the industry, said the National Federation of Hog Farmers. Industry data showed that the hogs sector alone loses around P3.2 billion (US$75.7 million) monthly from unfair competition from imported pig meat. The sector has lost around P12.8 billion (US$302.8 million) in foregone revenues from January 2012 to April 2012.
The agriculture secretary said he is planning to sit with the Department of Finance, Bureau of Customs, local hog raisers, poultry growers and meat importers to “settle once and for all” their disagreement over smuggling.

Delay in disease testing puts hold on Philippine pork exports to Singapore

Singapore has put a hold on importing pork from the Philippines because of a delay in testing pigs for the Ebola Reston virus, according to the Business Mirror, a Philippine newspaper. The virus was recently discovered on a pig farm in Central Luzon in the northern part of the country, but has not been identified in any other parts of the Philippines, said Rafael Mercado, a Department of Agriculture livestock officer.
Tests have been delayed because the Agriculture Department is waiting to receive the Ebola Reston antigen from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, Mercado said.