TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Nearly a thousand pigs from Denmark arrived in the Philippines on Thursday (Feb. 10) as a Taiwanese businessman eyes a place in the country’s swine breeding market.
Hailing from a background in husbandry, Taiwanese citizen Lu Hsiu-nan (呂秀男) has lived in the Southeast Asian country for five decades engaged in the animal feed industry. Upbeat about the country’s hog farming potential, he introduced Danish techniques and pigs in the hopes of gaining a piece of the pie, per CNA.
According to official statistics, the Philippines’ swine inventory has seen a significant drop since African swine fever (ASF) broke out in August of 2019. The number of pigs was down from 13 million in October 2019 to 9.87 million in the same month of 2021, leading to rising costs of pork.
Lu has invested 900 million pesos (US$17.5 million) into his swine breeding dream, planning to build five farms in the Central Luzon region’s Bataan Province. The facilities are expected to produce 120,000 heads a year by 2025, he said, believing the business will help curb local pork prices and improve pig breeds.
The businessman stressed that hygiene and disinfection are of utmost importance at the farms. Even meals for the workers at the farms will not include pork or beef to prevent swine viruses.
Lu Hsiu-nan invests big in Philippines’ hog farming. (CNA photo)
