AGRICULTURE Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. has ordered the expansion of the Protein-Enriched Copra Meal (PECM) Commercialization Project to the Western Visayas region.
Developed by the University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB) Biotech Center, PECM — a more affordable, sustainable, alternative protein source in animal feeds — is made through a fermentation process that increases by 45 percent the protein content in copra, which is a by-product of coconut.
Compared to conventional commercial feeds, PECM has yielded a 3.9-percent and 0.4-percent reduction, respectively, in feed costs from trials conducted on finfish and shrimp.
Department of Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. PHOTO FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
The project was launched in 2022 after the price of imported soybean meal in animal feeds jacked up due to the Covid-19 pandemic and the Russia-Ukraine war. Farmers in Calabarzon (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal and Quezon) and Soccsksargen (South Cotabato, Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, Sarangani and General Santos) were the first ones to benefit from the project.
While Covid-19 dissipated in 2023, the Russia-Ukraine conflict is still a challenge for the global supply and prices of animal feed ingredients. Russia and Ukraine account for a combined 30 percent of the global feed grain supply.
Hog production down
Data from the Philippine Statistics Authority showed hog production in Western Visayas declined by 23 percent to 158,471 metric tons in 2023.
Tiu Laurel hopes the PECM project expansion to Western Visayas will help farmers and feed producers in the region. “The program not only helps reduce feed costs but also supports the local economy by creating new markets for coconut by-products, which are often underutilized,” he said.
The PECM project is a collaboration between the Department of Agriculture, the Department of Science and Technology-Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources Research and Development, and the University of the Philippines Los Baños, including farmers’ cooperatives and associations.
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