The Board of Investments said Thursday it approved the P118.5-million poultry farm project of RCB Poultry Farm in South Cotabato province.
It said the project which has a capacity to produce 3.36 million kilograms of broiler chicken annually would help lessen the risk of chicken supply disruption and manage meat inflation.
“This innovative broiler chicken farm project has proven that we in the Board of Investments have offered relentless support to the country’s poultry sector. We are making headways happen already, as we will continuously pursue our goal of attracting more investments,” said Trade Secretary and BOI chairman Ramon Lopez.
The farm is expected help address possible threats of supply disruption if Region 12 and its nearby regions would be affected by Avian Influenza or bird flu, according to the agency.
RCB will use state-of-the-art technology for poultry growing to provide the optimal poultry farming environment. The technology will assure the growth and health of broiler chicken and may help save costs for feeds, water and energy.
Once operational, the farm will increase South Cotabato’s poultry output by 1.21 percent to 2.71 percent and reduce the need for chicken imports.
RCB plans to operate the farm on a broiler chicken contract growing agreement with a large food corporation.
The Department of Agriculture saw no expected shortage of chicken meat this year, with domestic output reaching at least 1.34 million metric tons to achieve 90-percent local self-sufficiency.
Based on supply utilization accounts on livestock and poultry of the Philippine Statistics Authority, chicken meat is considered one of the basic commodities of Filipinos and is the second most-consumed meat-type after pork.