PAFMI celebrates platinum anniversary

Discusses challenges in the industry, commits to re-imagineer the future of PH agriculture

The country’s biggest and oldest group of feed millers, the Philippine Association of Feed Millers Inc. (PAFMI) celebrated its 70th founding anniversary with a discussion on the challenges that the organization faced in the past year as well as the outlook for the last half of 2021.

“For several years, PAFMI has been a tremendous advocate and source of support for the country’s food security and safety. We have played a prominent role in promoting a robust agriculture sector particularly the feed milling sector and its allied industries,” said PAFMI President Edwin Mapanao during his opening remarks.

During the virtual celebration themed “Re-Imagineering the Future of Philippine Agriculture,” Mayette Ramos, founding president of Dataserve and Datacon Management, Consultancy, and Services, tackled the price of raw material and feed ingredients crucial in ensuring the profitability of feed processing and production. Starting with corn and wheat, Ramos said that the prices of these two remain on the high side while pollard is catching up.

“Hopefully, the price of yellow corn will soften a little bit in the second crop season in September-October. However, prices will eventually increase because of the low supply. The importation of corn and feed should be considered to prevent the increase of the price of yellow corn,” said Ramos.

Other raw ingredients that Ramos discussed were US Soybean, fish meal, coco oil, crude palm oil, and palm olein which were increasing since 2020; and rice bran, copra meal, and molasses which were on the low side as of the first quarter of 2021.

Pivoting to the challenges in the remaining months of 2021, Ramos said that the ASF had a major impact on the demand for feed that hogs consume. “We noticed that most of the hog farmers depend on commercial feeds. And while the financial capacities of the hog farmers to pay shorter terms were affected, the feed millers will surely feel the burden of mounting collectibles from customers,” Ramos remarked.

After the discussion, past presidents of PAFMI delivered speeches to congratulate the organization for its 70^th anniversary. In his speech, Dr. Norman Ramos, PAFMI President from 2006- 2013, reminded the members not to lose focus on their objectives in assisting the animal industry as well as their moral obligations to the farmers. Engr. Terrence Uygongco, who was the organization’s president in 2019, motivated the members to find opportunities to help the industry recover amid the crisis.

And lastly, Ms. Stephanie Nicole S. Garcia, PAFMI president in 2020, commended the organization for its heroism in the past year. “We may be business competitors, but we stood as one as we fought to keep all our businesses afloat so we can provide food security to our people and our country, and to our extended families.” She then emphasized that data-driven decision making and excellence in whatever they do will provide a beacon for the organization to find their way to recovery.

PAFMI’s incumbent Vice President Roderick Ramirez ended the celebration by expressing gratitude to the members for their commitment to the realization of the organization’s goals. “We all have witnessed the blooming 70 years of PAFMI. With Sir Ed Mapanao’s leadership, I have no doubt that his stewardship will bring us to the next level. I would like to thank you for consistently giving it your ideals as you envision PAFMI in the future,” he closed.

PAFMI has 35 member companies in the Philippines including Univet Nutrition and Animal Healthcare Company, Pilmico Foods Corp., Universal Robina Corp., Philippine Foremost Milling Company, General Milling Corporation, and Vitarich Corporation. Its members account for 70 percent of the country’s total animal feed production.

For more information about PAFMI, check out their official Facebook page.