Improved production needed. The Philippines imports 1.5 billion milkfish fry annually, bulk of which come from Indonesia.
Food security advocacy group Tugon Kabuhayan seeks more government support for a milkfish genomics program to improve the genetics and the production of the fish in the country.
The group said the Philippines imports 1.5 billion milkfish fry annually, bulk of which come from Indonesia.
Asis Perez, the group’s convenor, said in a virtual briefing yesterday a long-term program is needed as it would require at least 20 years to develop milkfish fry for improved growth rates, better food conversion ratio and shorter production time.
The group said at least P2 billion budget is needed to fund the program or about P100 million annually.
In the same event, Wilfredo Cruz, director of the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) in Central Luzon, said the Philippines needs more than 2.9 billion of milkfish fry but can only locally produce 1.4 billion.
For the total requirement, 37.4 percent are from hatcheries, 11.9 percent from the wild and the rest are shipped from abroad.
Cruz said at present, genomic improvements have been made for tilapia and shrimps.
He said bangus is more challenging as it takes five years to mature while tilaia and shrimps take only four to six months.
BFAR-Central Luzon, De La Salle University, University of the Philippine, National Fisheries Research and Development Institute, Department of Science and Technology and Feedmix Specialist II Inc. have developed a draft roadmap for bangus genomics.
According to data from the Philippine Statistics Authority, the country were able to produce 422,790 metric tons (MT) of milkfish last year, almost two percent higher than 2019’s 414,940 MT.
