Wednesday, January 17, 2007 A chance to shine in China, US for local food processors
KORONADAL CITY -- Food producers and processors here are organizing themselves to take advantage of the opportunity of penetrating the huge Chinese and American markets.
Allan Yaphockun, Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI)-Southern Mindanao governor, said local food processors would be given significant insights on how to increase exports in these markets.
"We're organizing a business delegation to the seminar that will be held in Thailand," Yaphockun revealed.
The series of seminars, dubbed "Targeting Overseas Markets: Opportunities for Southeast Asian Packaged Foods," will be conducted at the Grand Mercure Fortune Hotel in Bangkok.
The last two legs will be on March 14 for targeting the US market and April 4 for targeting the Chinese market.
The first leg was already finished last November 23, involving the penetration of the Japanese market.
Yaphockun said they have not sent a delegation to the first seminar since they were only informed of the opportunity last January 2.
The Kenan Institute Asia is the organizer of the event expected to improve earnings of industries in the food business through tie-ups they could link with the foreign buyers.
Cris Frianeza, secretary general of PCCI, said the seminar will focus on assisting packaged food manufacturers and exporters increase exports to Japan, US, and China in three areas of packaged foods.
These areas are ready-to-eat, ready-to-cook and seasonings and ingredients, he added.
The United States Agency for International Development, which sponsored the series of seminars, will provide travel subsidy of 5,000 baht (approximately $142) on a first-come, first-serve basis to participants from Asean countries.
"Each of these sessions will hosts experts from those countries in safety, standards and labeling as wells as marketing and packaging," Frianeza said in his letter to PCCI members.
South and central Mindanao play host to several large and medium enterprises engaged in the food processing industry.
Among them are canned tuna producers, most of which are based in this city, dubbed the "Tuna Capital of the Philippines," which host six of the country's eight tuna canneries.
Aside from manufacturing marine-based resources, food production in the area includes processing of vegetables and fruits. (BSS)
