How Can PH Swine Industry Be Saved? Look Beyond ASF And You Will See!


Note the crosses behind the exotic pig: Death to the swine industry!?

I am looking at what Jasper Y Arcalas of Business Mirror sees: “PHL Winning Battle Vs Swine Fever But May Lose The War[1]” (20 February 2020). He means we may defeat the ASF, simultaneously bring down with it the swine industry. (Main image above accompanies his article) I will now look at the situation as the Wizard of Os.

This:
Applying my 5 Os, using Mr Arcalas’ eyes, I see:

Mr Arcalas’ Obstacles – ASF spreading, killing thousands of pigs. Swine raisers and pork dealers taking advantage of a bad situation for their own good. Everywhere.

Mr Arcalas’ Opportunities – Save the uninfected; contain the spread of ASF.

Mr Arcalas’ Options – Business as usual if successful; goodbye swine industry if unsuccessful.

Mr Arcalas’ Outputs – Healthy pigs or uninfected saved. Some money collected from government for all pigs depopulated.

Mr Arcalas’ Outcomes – If national campaign against ASF is successful: Swine industry back on its feet, if wobbly. If unsuccessful: PH swine industry decimated!

I agree with Mr Arcallas’ specific Contentions – but not his Conclusion(that last sentence). I explain below.

Now this:
I will now point out what Secretary of Agriculture William Dar/Manong Willie has been thinking, and doing.

Mr Dar’s Obstacles: Inadvertently, Mr Arcalas is looking at the whole livestock industry as only the swine industry. And looking at the whole swine industry as only exotic pig swine industry. The ASF crisis is limiting Mr Arcalas view of the swine industry – he must look at the whole livestock industry, as Manong Willie does.

Mr Dar’s Opportunities: Strengthen the livestock industry by strengthening the swine part of it. Exotic pig breeds susceptible to the ASF? Change to PH native breeds resistant to diseases.

Mr Dar’s Options: To the native pigs being raised, add any combination of any number of other natives: carabaos, cattle, chickens, ducks, and goats. Manong Willie first mentioned raising rabbits as substitute for raising swine. Then he mentioned goats (superimposed image), and my Facebook sharing was this:

Excellent idea, Sir!
Naimas ti kalding!
(Goat has good taste!)

I just love biting into the half-roasted goat’s skin, aside from enjoying the scene of the goat being held by 2 pairs of hands over burning firewood to get rid of the hair as well as cook the skin.

And yes: There is the concept of Inclusive Market-Oriented Development, IMOD, which Manong Willie came up with when he was Director General of the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics, ICRISAT (2000 to 2014). Ultimately, IMOD requires that farmers are assisted in marketing their produce such as by cooperatives so they will enjoy the fruits of their labor throughout the length of the value chain – no usurers, no merchants included. Thanks ICRISAT for IMOD!

Mr Dar’s Outputs: With IMOD, a vibrant PH livestock industry. Richer raisers, happier consumers of native meats and other farm animal produce even the foreigners love!

Mr Dar’s Outcomes: Prosperous villages.

Tell me who doesn’t want those?!@517







[1] https://businessmirror.com.ph/2020/02/20/phl-winning-battle-vs-swine-fever-but-may-lose-the-war/?fbclid=IwAR3DmasvS0de-zl0WPFbJLKi75-59nzwnZ9WGHAjLW60T0O5Qr6ExDaOKag



Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Knorr Of Big Business Unilever Thinks Big Business Regenerative Agriculture – My Tiny Country PH Also Should!

Image
“Knorr’s plan for 50 regenerative agriculture projects is predicted to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and water use by an estimated 30% while improving biodiversity, soil health and livelihoods.” That is regenerative agriculture (RA) news by Julian Cirineo (05 Nov 2021, “Unilever Wants To Rethink How Farms Work To Secure Food And Resources For The Future,” Rappler , rappler.com ). Note: 50 (not 5 only) RA projects to improve greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs) and water use by 30% – plus improving biodiversity, soil health and livelihoods. Note the last 7 words in the above paragraph. How can RA improve biodiversity? RA requires that the farmer practices multiculture (a few or many crops grown at the same time in the same place), where monoculture (such as rice-only or corn-only) is the practice – the biodiversity improves crop health because of the ensuing balance of nature, such as some organisms feed on other organisms that would otherwise become pests or cause diseases. RA is your
Read more

In Looking At The Crown Of Thorns, I Found The Clowns

Image
We could use a surprise sense of humor!  Yes, especially on the wide problematic fields of Agriculture. There was this news that some high PH government officials wanted to probe Vice President Leni Robredo for “competing against” PH agencies in providing much-needed assistances during this coronavirus lockdown, and Marigs Laririt shared a picture-story on Facebook quoting Ms Leni as saying, “I didn’t know it was competition. I didn’t see any competitors!” Ms Marigs says, “Ay, parang friends ko kung sumagot si Mam.” (Ay, with Mam, it’s just like my friends answering back.) That is a two-handed backslap, and you can imagine the lady laughing! She is the humor-monger; they are the clowns. Today is Friday, 03 April 2020 and in one account ( Wikipedia ), Friday the 3 rd of April was crucifixion of Jesus and his crowning of thorns [1] . (images: Crown of Thorns [2]  from St Anthony Messenger , 1 st clown [3]  from The Guardian , 2 nd clown [4]  from Shutterstock ) About the living clowns I
Read more

“Natural Farming” – Aggie Journalists, We Must Be Careful With The Terms We Use!

Image
Look at the contrasting images: Which one is correct in claiming what is being practiced is “natural farming”? Top Image: This one accompanies the Anonymous WWF-Philippines story, “Mindanao Farmers Start Off the Year with Natural Farming Systems Technology” published online December 2019 [1] . The World Wide Fund, WWF, is a very credible international source of knowledge on conservation, right? Not this time. Very clearly, you can see the white plastic mulch covering the furrows and bare soil in-between them. Mr or Ms Anonymous, the plastic mulch is not natural. The soil not covered in-between furrows is not natural. So much soil bare, not natural, allowing so much natural water wasted because it had evaporated from the unprotected, hot soil surface! That is not conservation; that is not natural. The term “natural” is used here very carelessly . Aggie journalists, wake up! How come I noticed all that immediately when I saw the photograph? Because I learned my organic farming more t
Read more