THE Province of Bohol has lauded the additional investments poured in by the Alturas Group of Companies to the island’s thriving agri-business industry.
The Alturas Group recently expanded its stake in agriculture with the launching of its third feed mill in Marcela Farms in Ubay, Bohol.
“This project will also help us in our pursuit of agricultural development in our province. Through this, we can aim for higher production of hog and poultry feeds that will make us a primary reserve of the said product,” said Bohol Gov. Erico Aristotle Aumentado, who is also the chairman of the Regional Development Council in Central Visayas.
Aumentado said agriculture is one of the priority areas under this term alongside tourism and infrastructure.
Marcela Farm’s new feed mill has an output capacity of 30 tons per hour, making it one of Asia’s few large-scale feed mills. This multi-story structure also incorporates top-of-the-line Dutch company Van Aarsen International equipment.
The automated feed production line takes care of the intake, grinding, mixing, pelleting, and bagging of animal and aqua feeds. It serves the dietary requirements of all Marcela Farms’ livestock and aqua operations while utilizing efficient waste management.
“We have been in the agri-business for 40 years, and it is a crucial part of the success of the Alturas Group. The farm is our main source of livestock for Alturas Malls, providing consistent and high-quality produce for Bohol, Cebu, and other areas,” said Marlito Uy, chief executive officer of Marcela Farms.
The Alturas Group of Companies has stakes in retail, tourism, commercial and agro-industrial industries in the province of Bohol.
Marcela Farms serves the food needs - hogs, chicken, eggs, prawns, fish, and rice of the province and institutional customers all over the country and abroad. It is a forerunner in developing Bohol’s vibrant economy. The farm will be celebrating its 50th founding anniversary in 2023.
Besides contributing to the island’s goal of local food security, Marcela Farms also commits to sustainable practices through environmental protection. It also leverages technology to help grow sustainably in the future.
To reduce its carbon footprint, the company operates the biggest solar farm project in Bohol, with a combined capacity of two megawatts. The excess power is delivered to the local grid as part of the government’s net metering scheme.
Marcela Farms also has a biomass facility responsible for compacting 100 percent rice hulls used as solid biofuel for industrial plant boilers and as bedding for poultry breeding sites.
Moreover, its organic fertilizer facility has an operating capacity of at least 350 bags a day, while its rendering facility converts 100 percent poultry plant waste into a protein meal for feeds.
Marcela Farms also had the first certified animal-waste biogas in Southeast Asia in 2012. Two biogas installations are currently operational—one supplies 1.5 megawatts for the hog farm, while the other provides methane fuel for plant boilers. (KOC)