The Department of Agriculture (DA) reaffirmed its cooperation with the Philippine Food Processors and Exporters Organization, Inc. (PHILFOODEX) to revitalize the Philippine export industry, which remains affected by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
During its courtesy call to the DA on May 12, PHILFOODEX President Ruben See expressed his gratitude to Agriculture Secretary William D. Dar for the Department’s continued support to its trade shows and other programs.
Among these are the Philippine Food Expo and the THAIFEX – Anuga Asia, which will be held in 2023. Both trade fairs aim to promote Filipino food products among foreign businesses and investors.
“The sales of the PHILFOODEX exporters during the past THAIFEX – Anuga justify the support of the Department of Agriculture and the Department of Trade and Industry. In the same manner din po rito sa Philippine Food Expo—I believe P500 M to P1 B ang sales ng mga small- and medium- [enterprises] and exporters, excluding the six months projected sales na nakukuha nila afterwards,” explained PHILFOODEX Director for Membership Mayose Bautista.
PHILFOODEX Corporate Secretary Nandy Esguerra praised the Department’s KADIWA ni Ani at Kita, which removed multiple layers of middlemen from the agriculture sector, resulting to more competitive prices of local agricultural and food products.
Also discussed during the courtesy call were the efforts of DA, under the leadership of Secretary Dar, to tap the potentials of export development and value-adding, as well as to improve the country’s export industry.
Undersecretary for Policy, Research, and Development Fermin Adriano highlighted the importance of the DA’s regulatory measures to Philippine exporters during the pandemic
“The Department of Agriculture should really help in making your sector more effective and competitive. And part of that is regulatory measures namin—the compliance with the standards of the other countries in terms of their public health and safety standards,” he said.
Secretary Dar also reiterated the need to link the agriculture sector with the processing and manufacturing industries to boost its contribution to the country’s economy.
“Agriculture must show its way in terms of producing much more volume and more quality products para mas magamit dito sa processing industry. And if you add up ‘yong contribution ng agriculture siguro, it will go to about one-third kung isama mo ‘yong processing ng raw materials. 10% plus maybe 25% from processing and manufacturing, 35% ang agriculture and agri-processing contribution doon sa GDP natin. Dagdagan pa natin ng ating sipag, that will go much higher,” he explained.
He also called on the private sector to partner with the DA and to invest more in Philippine agriculture.
“PHILFOODEX will always support DA, especially in all of your projects and your commodity roadmaps,” See said. ### (Krystelle Ymari A. Vergara, DA-AFID)
