In this respect the Program works closely with the Agricultural Marketing Service at the national level and the Agricultural Marketing Divisions at the regional level to ensure that markets are available for the produce of livestock farmers.
Database on prices of livestock and poultry commodities are maintained and regularly reported and discussed with industry through the Price and Volume Watch Task Force led by the BAI. Similar task forces are to be organized in selected regions nationwide.
Specific projects to link producers with the markets are also undertaken. In 2004-2005, a “Pork-in-a Box” project was launched where some hogs from Mindanao and Visayas were no longer shipped live but instead were slaughtered in the area, cut, frozen and shipped to
Manila markets. This had substantially reduced losses from shrinkage (weight loss), mortality, feeds and labor during transport. It had also substantially reduced the risk of disease transmission.
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