Commercial Production of Philippine Native Chicken

VALUE CHAIN ANALYSIS AND EXISTING STUDIES FOR PHILIPPINE NATIVE CHICKEN

The raising of local chicken is an integral component of the farming system in the Philippines. It is the cheaper source of animal protein among the household in rural areas (Lambio, 2000; Salces, et al., 2015). The products coming from this group of chicken are considered premium and being paid at a higher price compared to the commercial breeds (Salces, et al., 2013). In addition, distinctive taste, free from synthetic chemicals, adaptability to local conditions, ability to utilize scavengeable feed resources into meat and eggs, and resistance to diseases are some of the traits of native chicken favored by raisers and consumers (Lambio, 2000; Cocjin, et al., 2001; Lopez, 2008; Salces, et al., 2013).     

To have a better understanding of the current status of Philippine native chicken (PNC) industry, Figure 1 shows the value chain analysis (VCA) for PNC in Western and Central Visayas. Only parts of the reports in the VCA of Philippine Rural Development Program (PRDP, 2016 & 2017) and of Lizada et al. (2013) were presented to simplify the picture of this industry. The results showed that it would take five segments before the native chicken products reach the final consumers. Moreover, each of this segment has its own constraints that need to be addressed for this industry to move towards the commercialization stage.

Figure 1.  Value and supply chain analysis for Philippine Native Chicken in Western and Central Visayas (PRDP, 2016 & 2017; Lizada et al., 2013)

The identified constraints under the inputs provisions are the high cost of supplemental feeds, limited source of breeding stocks, and the availability of the common service facilities like of community-based feed mill, storage, breeding, and post-harvest equipment. This is added by the concerns on inappropriate housing design and measurement, limited access to packages of technology (POT) pertaining to commercialization, and the prevalence of diseases among native chickens grown by farmer/raiser. The limited market information, irregularity of supplies and unstandardized marketable chickens, unavailability of dressing plant and refrigerated van, and absence of distribution facility to ensure high-grade meat quality added to the above-mentioned constraints (Lizada et al., 2013; PRDP, 2016 & 2017).       

Based on the identified constraints in the VCA, the primary role of operators like the Central Philippine University (CPU) as one of the higher educational institutions (HEI’s) is on the Research, Development, and Extension (RD&E) of inputs and production technologies. The developed POT’s were then extended among the target clientele through the various outreach/extension undertakings. In support of the technology development, the costs associated with it must be at least value for it to be feasible among the adopters. This is where the role of enablers like the Department of Agriculture and other funding institutions is critical. The available resources of the HEI’s are not enough to support certain undertakings but with the augmentation of assistance coming from the enablers, this can easily be accomplished.   

To exemplify the participation of CPU in the RD&E for (PNC) from the perspective of the outputs of VCA, numbers of serious studies were conducted since 2002.  There were studies prior that year but focuses more on the cultural management of growing the PNC. A survey in the marketing of PNC in Iloilo City was conducted in 2002 to determined the supply, demand, and product quality requirement of the niche market. This was administered among the middlemen and processors like restaurants, vendors, and others. The results showed that the consumers needed for tender and juicy, free from antibiotics, standardized in terms of size and consistency of taste, affordable and accessible native chicken products (Figure 2; Altis & Cabarles, 2002). These requirements of the niche market were the same for Western Visayas based on the findings of Lizada, et al. (2013). Aside from the niche market of native chickens, the raisers from the top three producing municipalities of Iloilo were visited to determine their needs in raising the PNC (Dusaran & Cabarles, 2006). They commented that they wanted to have fast-growing stocks, with higher survival rate, and packages of technology for the larger scale of production of native chickens. This information was processed and served as a guide for the RD&E undertakings of this University. These were the bases of succeeding studies conducted in this University.

The development of inputs and packages of technology at CPU was enriched with the concept of Chuang, et al. (2009). They pointed out that products of the RD&E should answer the requirements of the niche market and needs of the raisers at the same time. This is to ensure that the developed packages of technology when adopted by raisers produces marketable PNC that matches with the requirements of the niche market (Figure 2).  To answer the requirement on the niche market, Wattanachant (2008) explained that there were five different factors affecting the quality of native chicken meat. These are the genotype, rearing and feeding system, age, meat pH, and chemical composition.  Each of this factor must be considered in the development of inputs and packages of technology for commercial production of Philippine native chickens. It does not only produces the quality demanded by the market but at the same time meet the needs of the raisers.

Figure 2. Research and Development undertakings direction of Central Philippine University

To work with, the PNC was noted to have tough and dry meat quality (Altis & Cabarles, 2002;  Lambio, et al., 2000; Jaturasitha, et al., 2002 & 2008; Chumngoen & Tan, 2015; Dominguez, et al., 2016). Studies showed this meat quality was observed because the fowl is grown in free-range conditions and being sold at an older age. The ranging behavior of this fowl tended to increase the concentration of collagen and strengthening the mesh-like connective tissue enveloping the muscle fiber (Raikumar, et al., 2016). To address the constraints on toughness and tenderness of native chicken meat, Wattanachant (2008) found that growing this fowl in intensive (confinement) system led to the production of more tender meat with an intense yellow color skin. He added that the native chickens can be raised from hatching up to 18 weeks old for economical live weight and high meat quality. These findings were supported by Sanka & Mbaga (2014). Latter researchers found that meat quality of native chicken in terms of tenderness, cooking loss, and pH was best to obtain up to five months of age. Rearing native chicken beyond this age tended to have a less tender, greater cooking loss, and higher pH of the meat. Also, they agreed that the intensive growing of native enhanced the above parameters of meat quality than those provided with ranging yards.  

In relation to the practices of raisers in growing the native chickens, Cabarles (2013) reported that it would take 23.56 ±1.03 weeks from hatching to attain the marketable live weight of 800 to 900 grams. From the entrepreneurial point of view, waiting for such growing periods entailed more costs and increase mortality in the flock. The probability of growing this fowl in less than 12 weeks is possible with the provisions of a balanced diet, proper housing, and better flock health management (Buctot & Espina, 2015). In line with this, various studies were conducted on how to shorten the growing period from more than 20 weeks to less than 12 weeks of age and weighing 800 to 900 grams. The growing of Philippine native chicken to 12 weeks and less were proven by the findings in the previous studies on “Development of Natural Source as Alternative to Synthetic Methionine for Native Chicken Organic Supplemental Feed Production” and reports of Lambio (2000), Gondwe & Wollny (2005), Lwelamira et al. (2008), and Rehman, et al. (2016).

Futhermore, Abdelqader, et al. (2007), Choprakam & Wongpichet (2007), Reta (2009), Cabarles (2013), and Hagan et al. (2013) reported that the mortality rate of native chicken raised on free-range condition ranges from 35 to 50 percent. The common causes of mortality were the occurrence of diseases, predation, presence of parasites, unpredictable weather, and unbalanced nutrition. These conditions took place when the chickens were on ranging areas scavenging for available feed resources that made them vulnerable or expose on it. In the studies of Hassen et al. (2006) and Hossen (2010) where they provided proper housing for confinement and given with balanced diet to one-day up to seventy-days old chickens, the survival rate increases from 43 to 87 percent. This implies that the provision of housing to growing chicken protects them from threats found in ranging areas. With proper housing, good nutrition and strategic flock health management, the mortality decreases at even as low as less than 10 percent as observed by Lambio, et al. (1997), Goromela, et al. (2006), and Magothe et al. (2012).

In addition to what has been presented, Cabarles (2013) shared that the hens of Philippine native chicken can lay 48.67±0.88 to 50.89±1.03 eggs per year and weighing 39.42±0.28 to 42.67±0.41 grams when it is raised in free-range condition. The fewer number of eggs laid was attributed to its broodiness. However, with proper management and a balanced diet, the native chicken can lay more than 80 eggs per hen per year (Lambio & Grecia, 1998; Lambio, 2000). The same observation was recorded in the previous study on “Development of Natural Source as Alternative to Synthetic Methionine for Native Chicken Organic Supplemental Feed Production.”

Altis & Cabarles (2002) reported that the six districts of Iloilo City alone required for about 3,000 heads of PNC on a daily basis. The requirement can be totaled to about a 100,000 heads on a monthly basis. Furthermore, Lizada et al. (2013) commented that there is an increasing trend as to the requirements of the consumers. They added that this could not be supplied if the raisers are still rearing the native chickens in free-range condition. These practices were vulnerable to the ever-changing environmental conditions and diseases which led to even wiping out the flock.

The unstructured market for PNC is detected by Lingaya et al. (2011). The different segments were identified in Figure 1 but need to be institutionalized for the PNC industry to emerge as the commercial breeds. However, the constraints pertaining to expensive supplemental feeds, quality breeder stocks, and improved POT must be addressed for the PNC Industry to be in place.  

Thus, with the output of VCA and previous studies, the need for innovative production technology and marketing are identified.  The commercialization of Natural Methionine must be done to answer the need for the provision of technology for feed formulation. The success of introducing new or alternative product should identify the target and segment of the market where it is needed as pointed out by Slater & Mohr (2006). It would be more stable to have it be University-based rather than company assisted added by Bercovitz & Feldmann (2006). They pointed out that it may take time and patience to realize the so-called university-led economic development. Universities should be considered as an important component for the technology development and revitalization of the existing one. With the continuous effort, it will lead to the formation of Start-up Company’s anchored on academic research. This was supported by the reports of Markman, et al. (2008).  They asserted that the University-based technology commercialization is feasible. Li et al. (2008) suggested that the entrepreneurial orientation of such undertaking as being competitive, willingness to face consequences of actions, creativity, and pro-active are the essential elements for the success of technology commercialization.