DILIMAN, Quezon City – The Agricultural Training Institute (ATI) and the Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI) teamed up recently to impart significant information and knowledge on poultry production and processing.

As part of its monthly series of free seminars, the ATI, through the Partnerships and Accreditation Division, opened another learning opportunity for Filipinos particularly on the poultry-related enterprises. BAI National Swine and Poultry Research Development Center Chief Dr. Rene Santiago served as resource person for this month's seminar and discussed Poultry Production: Broilers and Layers.

"The factors that you have to consider before starting a poultry business are the capital, area to start the project, technical know-how, constant supply of farm needs like electricity and potable water, assured supply of chicks and feeds, and market assurance," said Dr. Rene Santiago.

In 2013, Dr. Santiago shared that the poultry subsector was the major source of growth in the agriculture sector, making up for 14.76 per cent in the total agricultural production. Meanwhile, per capita consumption for chicken meat is 7.87 kilos and for egg is 3.48 kilos or 63 eggs. Also part of his lecture are the types of poultry enterprises; kinds of poultry farm structures and equipment; problems and prospects of poultry projects; management, brooding and growing practices; feeds and feeding nutrient requirements; health management; and costing/budgetary considerations.

In the second part of the seminar, BAI Animal Products Development Center Meat Processing Unit head Maria Salve Doncillo-Chavez talked about the processes in making chicken nuggets and chicken tocino. She stressed that the quality of meat is very critical as this will determine the outcome of the product.

A total of 177 private individuals from different parts of the country attended this seminar held last May 12, 2017 at the ATI Rural Development and Education Center in this city.