CANDABA, PAMP. — Governor Lilia G. Pineda vowed full support yesterday to multi-million peso duck raising industry in this town that produces 3.5-million eggs per week or 168-million pieces per year out of the 576,910 heads of “itik” or duck.
In a consultation meeting held Monday in Barangay Bahay Pare with the duck raisers and other farmers, the governor said she was surprised with the development of the duck raising industry as it is booming and now a big business that generates jobs and more income among the residents of 14 barangays of the Tagalog Region.
The governor was warmly welcomed by Mayor Rene Maglanque, Vice Mayor Normita Evangelista, department heads of the municipality of Candaba, all barangay captains headed by Association of Barangay Captains President Nelson Alonso and members and non-members of Candaba Duck Raisers Cooperative.
The consultation was also attended by District 4 Board Members Ric Yabut, Nestor Tolentino, 3rd District Board Member Joseph Anthony Torres and all department heads of the Capitol.
The governor lauded the diligence and hard work of the duck raisers as they are instrumental in making not only Candaba but the entire province as egg basket that produces millions of pesos out of their business.
The fresh eggs are being sold with a farm gate price of P6.80 each; salted eggs’ price ranged from P7.50 to P8.00 depending on the size and the processed “balot” are being sold at a price of P8.00 to P8.50 each.
Maglanque said the duck raisers are happy and elated with the positive response of the governor with regards to their needs of having a feed mill in the region that would aid the further development of the egg industry and make it more profitable.
“The cost of producing eggs is too high because of the uncontrollable high cost of feeds available in the area,” the mayor said.
Maglanque said the industry needs to have its own feed mill in order to lower the cost of production and make control of its market price.
With this, the governor said she wants the duck raisers to cooperate with the provincial government for the establishment of a feed mill to maximize their profit and encourage other families in the Tagalog Region to engage in the same business.
The governor said she will also assist the small duck raisers who are not members of any association or cooperative to organize and make a recommendation on how the provincial government could provide assistance to them in terms of financial requirement and marketing of their produce particularly in Luzon.
Maglanque said the Tagalog region has 8,726 households with a total population of 43,706 and the major source of income is farming but it is more popular with its “balot” and processed eggs industry.
Maglanque said the Tagalog Region has 317 duck raisers, 76 of them are members of the Candaba Duck Raisers Multi-Purpose Cooperative headed by Rino Luctu.
Luctu said the duck raising industry has been existing for almost 40 years in the region and their produce are being marketed in Metro Manila and nearby provinces.
He furthered that 31 percent of the duck raisers are doing business in Barangay Vizal San Pablo and 27 percent in barangay Bahay Pare and the rest are located in the different barangays of the Tagalog Region.
BY JOEL P. MAPILES
