Feature: Engineer promotes organic hog raising

By Venus L. Garcia

BUTUAN CITY, Oct. 16 (PIA) - Heddy Padayhag Sumalpong, a civil engineer by profession and vice-president of Butuan Pork Producers Association, is positive in encouraging the community to venture in raising hogs the organic way.

Sumalpong has been engaged in organic hog production since 2003. “When I initially acquired my Large White breed of pig, I opted to apply organic method of raising,” she said.

Organic farming is a natural way on how to raise pigs. The idea is to rear healthy and leaner livestock. Consumers are assured that no synthetic feeds and antibiotics are induced, which can cause malady both to the pigs and the consumers.

Sumalpong’s interest in organic farming brought her course to search for more techniques that turned everything to her advantage. She said that organic farming does not require intensive effort where one should spend laborious hours operating and maintaining the sanitation of pigpen and its surroundings.

At this time, she is raising five productive pigs which are housed in a well ventilated pigpen, with a full sawdust beddings sprayed with Indigenous Microorganisms (IMO). “We prepare our own simple concoction of IMO. It’s easy and very beneficial in keeping the area odor-and-housefly free,” she said.

IMOs prevent the build-up of bad bacteria and hasten composting. Thus, eliminating the inconvenience of frequent wash-and-bath of pigs.

 “I basically feed the pigs the natural way, rame-rame and birds of paradise leaves became an every treat for my pigs,” Sumalpong said. She emphasized that feeds that contain chemical elements are not good to human body.

She cited that naturally raised hogs are hardly ever prone to animal sickness. They are regarded as a healthy and tolerant hogs that can withstand variations in climate and other environmental factors.

In a decade of organic hog raising practice, she is able to sustain in the business with a stable financial profit.  Her plant-eating pigs, also named “vegan pigs” can produce a litter of piglets twice each year. “Organic farming not only triple your return of investment, it likewise assures a healthy option of buying and consuming toxic-free products,” she added.

She is anticipating for her pregnant sow to farrow this week.

When asked about the taste and quality of meat from the organic hogs she produces, “a pleasant taste, fine texture and fresh smell plus low fat constitute its distinctive quality,” said Sumalpong.(FEA/VLG/PIA-Caraga)