Wednesday, July 26, 2006
China market gabs to showcase opportunities for Mindanao food products
THE United States Agency for International Development (Usaid)-funded Growth with Equity in Mindanao (GEM) Program in collaboration with the Philippine Exporters Confederation (PhilExport) will conduct a series of seminar on "The China Market: Opportunities and Challenges" in key cities in Mindanao.
The seminar series, which is also being supported by the Department of Agriculture (DA), Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and local chambers of commerce and industries, started in Cagayan de Oro City on July 25.
The same seminar will be conducted in Davao City on July 27, General Santos City on July 28 and Zamboanga City on August 3.
The seminar series is part of the GEM Program's massive information campaign on the emerging China market.
It seeks to provide Mindanao exporters and businessmen with updated information on emerging opportunities for food and other agricultural products in the fast-growing China market.
The one-day session will also focus on basic rules of trade between the two countries including important trade-related policies such as the Philippines-China Early Harvest Program, which came into full force early this year.
The program reduces tariff barriers on the trading of fresh and semi-processed agricultural commodities between the two countries.
"The seminar is a key for Mindanao exporters, particularly those in the food sector, to effectively capture the China market. This could be one market strategy for product diversification taking note of emerging buyer preferences such that a niche for Mindanao food products in China would be secured," said Ann T. Pamintuan, president of PhilExport-11 Davao.
Resource persons from the government and private sector have been invited to give presentations during the seminar series.
These include Archimedes Gomez, Philippine Commercial Attache to Guangdong, China; William Co, Philippine Agricultural Attaché to China and; Jesus Dureza, Chairman of the Mindanao Economic Development Council.
Local representatives of Philexport who are doing business in China will also share their experiences in the forum.
China has been one of the emerging export markets for Mindanao's major food commodities such as fruits, aquaculture, tuna and other processed fish, seaweeds and carrageenan.
Based on data compiled by the GEM Program, total Mindanao exports of these selected agri-based commodities to China tripled to US$10.9 million in 2005, from US$2.8 million in 2002.
Among the commodities, which grew significantly during the past three years were banana chips, canned tuna, dried seaweeds and carrageenan.
One of the major objectives of the GEM Program is to help increase exports of selected Mindanao agri-aqua products to the large and growing China market.
GEM carries out a number of market promotion activities to enable Mindanao private companies gain better access to the China market.
These include the conduct of market seminars focusing on business opportunities in China, holding of market exchanges between key local producers and major Chinese buyers and importers, networking with Philippine trade offices in China and participation in strategic exhibits and other trade events in China.
Since 2002, the GEM Program has worked closely with several Mindanao producers' groups and industry associations to promote Mindanao agri-aqua products in the China market.
GEM has organized a number of Mindanao private companies and business delegations to participate in the Philippine Solo Exhibit in Shanghai, China in April 2003; the 9th China Fisheries and Seafoods Expo in Qingdao, China in October 2004 and the China Consumer Goods Procurement Fair in Shenzhen, China in October 2005.
GEM also brought in a delegation of major Chinese importers to business matching session in Davao City with Mindanao producers in November 2003.
This year, the GEM Program in partnership with the Department of Agriculture is organizing a Mindanao delegation to join the World of Food China Exhibit scheduled on 4-6 September 2006 in Shanghai, China.
More than 10 Mindanao companies engaged in fresh and processed fruits, frozen and processed fish and aquaculture products have confirmed to join this international food show, which is the satellite exhibit in Asia of the prestigious Anuga Food Show held in Germany.
For further inquiries and confirmations on "The China Market: Opportunities & Challenges" kindly coordinate with the PhilExport XI Secretariat through telephone numbers (082) 234-5564 to 65 or email at pecdavao@ultimate.info.com.ph.
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