MANILA – President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on Thursday assured farmers of the government’s continuing efforts to reduce the role of middlemen in the farm-to-market chain to help producers gain greater value from their products.
Marcos made the statement during his visit to the Batangas Egg Producers Multipurpose Cooperative (BEPCO) in San Jose, Batangas, where he underscored the importance of interagency coordination in boosting agricultural production and adding value to farm products.
Accompanied by Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel, Marcos inspected BEPCO’s PHP300-million egg processing facility in Barangay Don Luis, San Jose, Batangas, which is known as the country’s egg capital.
He cited the support extended by government agencies to BEPCO, particularly the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) for developing egg-processing technologies and the Department of Agriculture (DA) for providing machinery and establishing systems for egg collection and processing.
“That is again something very important because it’s good for the environment and even equally important, the value added that comes from the processing,” Marcos said.
“This is the continuing effort of the government to cut out the middleman from between the farmer, between the producer, and the market,” he added.
BEPCO’s processing facility was designed to add value to an estimated seven million to 10 million eggs produced daily, depending on the season.
The technology developed by the DOST and funded by the DA aims to produce liquid and pasteurized eggs using good manufacturing practices to ensure food safety and extend shelf life.
Marcos said processing eggs into various products, instead of selling them as raw products, enables producers to preserve their harvest while generating additional value.
He also stressed the importance of minimizing waste, noting that BEPCO’s processing system allows the cooperative to utilize eggs that might otherwise remain unsold.
He described the initiative as an example of a “circular business” where little to nothing goes to waste while producers benefit from value-added processing.
“Not only this is a good example of what can be done when many agencies of government are working together, working hand-in-hand, but also when we develop the proper technology, how we can in fact put up what is referred to as a circular business,” Marcos said.
Marcos said the initiative remains in its pilot stage, with additional machinery being installed to increase production.
The facility has an upgraded pasteurization line capable of processing 1,400 kilos of liquid egg, equivalent to 28,000 50-gram eggs, per hour.
Finished products undergo strict quality control, including microbiological testing for Salmonella, as well as labeling before dispatch.
To extend the shelf life of eggs, the DA provided a three-story cold storage facility through a PHP50-million grant. The facility has a capacity of up to 80 tons of finished products.
The facility also features a spray-drying operation that converts liquid egg into powdered egg white, yolk, and whole egg, extending shelf life to up to two years. (PNA)
