In a joint position paper submitted to Agriculture Secretary Arthur Yap, the United Broiler Raisers’ Association and National Egg Board explained that "with the rise of China, India and Russia, there has been an upward trend in the prices of commodities, both agricultural and industrial."

The organisation consider these developments as a threat, because it increases the costs of feed inputs like soybeans, amino acids, choline, toxin binders and other feed additives.

However it also sees the current situation as an opportunity because the prices of competing chicken products have also been rising.

For such trends to become an opportunity for Philippine poultry industry there must be greater investments in agriculture, the position paper said.

Another necessity is also to extend the Agricultural Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (ACEF), which is to expire at the end of the year.

War chest
"The ACEF can be an additional war chest for the Agriculture secretary to target specific provinces or regions that could give the nation fastest and highest returns in terms of additional production," the paper said.

The ACEF can be tapped for irrigation, farm-to-market roads, post-harvest equipment and research and development, it added.