President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., accompanied by Agriculture Secretary Francisco P. Tiu Laurel Jr., on Thursday inspected the P300-million egg processing facility of the Batangas Egg Producers Multipurpose Cooperative (BEPCO) which processes an estimated seven million to 10 million eggs daily, depending on the season.
San Jose was declared the “Egg Basket of the Philippines” under Republic Act 11707.
The facility is the first in the country to produce powdered eggs using technology developed by the Department of Science and Technology (DoST) and supported by the Department of Agriculture through its Egg Industry Development Project.
Oversupply
The technology is intended to address periods of oversupply by allowing excess eggs to be processed and stored longer, helping producers avoid losses when demand is low.
“And as we can see, nothing is going to waste here. Nothing is being thrown away,” Marcos said, describing the project as an example of a “circular business” made possible by government agencies working together.
He said processing also adds value to farm output while reducing waste and helping cut out the middlemen between producers and markets.
The facility’s upgraded pasteurization line can process 1,400 kilos of liquid egg an hour, or about 28,000 eggs.
Two-year shelf life
A P50-million DA grant also funded a three-story cold storage facility with an 80-ton capacity for finished products. Its blast freezer can process liquid egg batches in about three hours, compared with the standard eight hours.
The plant also uses spray-drying technology to produce powdered egg whites, yolks, and whole eggs, extending their shelf life for up to two years. The DoST gave P16 million in loan assistance for the equipment.
Finished products undergo quality controls, including microbiological testing for salmonella and labeling before dispatch.
Laurel said processing could help stabilize egg supplies and incomes.
“Food security is not only about producing enough. It is also about assuring that our farmers and egg producers have stable livelihoods and incomes, while consumers have a steady and reasonably priced supply,” he said.
