DA to meet with chicken, pork producers to ensure supply

The Department of Agriculture will meet this coming week with chicken and pork producers to ensure sufficient supply of meat products. DA Secretary Proceso Alcala said his department will seek inputs from the producers as it makes plans to ensure meat supply until at least January 2012. “Magpapatawag kami ng meeting [sa mga magmamanok at magbabaoy]. Pag-uusapan namin ang supply hanggang sa holiday season... we need to project," Alcala said in an interview on dwIZ radio. He said that while chicken growers can grow chickens in as little as 35 days, hog growers need as many as “four to six months." Alcala said the DA is making projections for at least December, to make sure prices of meat products are affordable to consumers. The DA is also making plans to "ensure supply of meat products not only for Christmas but also up to one month after Christmas," Alcala said. — LBG, GMA News