What food do Filipinos love to eat? Ask this question and you’ll find out that chicken belongs to the top list of Filipino families’ favorite meal because chicken and whole eggs are among the cheap sources of protein.

According to BMI Research, a Fitch Group Company, Philippines is one of the fastest-growing meat consumers worldwide along with  Vietnam, Pakistan, Indonesia, Colombia and Nigeria. However, Philippines was also identified as one of the countries which will account for most of the global growth in meat import demand in 2020. BMI attributes the outperformance to continued increase in gross domestic product (GDP) and population in the said countries.

To address this issue, the Department of Agriculture’s Philippine Rural Development Project (DA-PRDP) eyes the potential of the native chicken industry to provide available and affordable food for Filipinos. The PRDP-Bicol’s local and national level planning (I-PLAN) noted the increase in market demand for native chicken because it is now considered a healthier alternative to broiler chicken or the 45 days chicken which is allegedly stuffed with allergy and cancer-causing biologics. During a series of focus group discussion (FGD) on native chicken held on August 23 to 26, 2016 in all districts of Camarines Sur, PRDP-Bicol’s I-PLAN Component Head Aloha Gigi I. Bañaria encouraged poultry raisers to engage in native chicken farming.

“Native chicken is an identified priority commodity in Camarines Sur, Camarines Norte and Catanduanes. We are coming up with programs for native chicken and farmers could expect for more interventions,” she said.

PRDP-Bicol I-PLAN Component Head Aloha Gigi I. Bañaria encourages poultry raisers to engage in native chicken farming as it is one of the Department of Agriculture’s priority commodities to provide available and affordable food for 105 million Filipinos. (Photo by Annielyn L. Baleza, DA-PRDP RPCO V InfoACE Unit)

Native chicken raisers, processors, and traders as well as livestock inspectors in Camarines Sur attended the series of FGD that aims to determine the current situation, market demand or potential and constraints and opportunities of the native chicken industry in the province.

The participants believe that native chicken is a good livelihood opportunity for rural communities. The demand for native chicken is increasing and majority of the farmers have free-range chicken in their backyard. It has minimum capital, feeds and housing requirements. In addition, DA is conducting a research on native chicken upgrading and has an available technician to assist native chicken farmers.

However, some of the participants mentioned that at present native chicken is not the priority of the farmers for they opt to raise pigs and cows. Another reason is the limited number of available native chicken breed. They also cited poor breeding, chicken theft, Newcastle Disease and coccidiosis, and low buying price as primary reasons for irregular native chicken production.

PRDP-Bicol I-PLAN Planning Specialist assists native chicken industry stakeholders in preparing the value chain map for native chicken during the Focus Group Discussion on Native Chicken held on August 23, 2016 in Nabua, Camarines Sur. (Photo by Annielyn L. Baleza, DA-PRDP RPCO V InfoACE Unit)

Native chicken raiser Julian Abonal Jr., chairman of the Nabua West Multi-purpose Cooperative, said that he was elated to know that the government has support for native chicken farming.

“Nalaman ko yung demand. The FGD was also a good venue for sharing of best practices particularly in marketing and trading,” Abonal said.

However he said that based on his experience, native chicken farmers are yet to see its profitability beyond backyard native chicken raising.

“May potential ang native chicken but it will take time. There is a need to emphasize clear-cut demand through success stories, data on demand growth, increase in production rate, and guarantee na walang smuggling. Kailangan ding suportahan ang right price na kikita ang farmers and include it in the health items as a healthier choice,” he added. FGD results show that in most districts of Camarines Sur, native chicken is not viewed as an additional source of income but merely for family consumption.

Bañaria underscored that the FGD on native chicken is a preliminary activity for the value chain analysis and commodity investment plan preparation which will provide more development opportunities for the native chicken industry in the region. ### (Annielyn L. Baleza and Michelle Angela G. Alfigura, DA-PRDP RPCO V InfoACE Unit)