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Friday, June 30, 2006
Mindanao eyed as Philippines' agro-fishery export zone
By Bong Garcia
INCOMING investments in Mindanao's cold-chain industry are expected to boost the region's bid to become an agro-fishery export zone and to be linked to the envisioned national cold-chain network.
Mindanao Economic Development Council (Medco) chair Undersecretary Virgilio Leyretana lauded the cold chain industry players for taking a bold move to develop Mindanao's cold chain system by pouring in new cold storage investment projects that will provide efficient storage and distribution system for Mindanao's perishable products.
Cold Chain Association of the Philippines (CCAP) announced that at least P600 million is to be invested in the cold chain industry in Mindanao in the next 12 months.
These will be located in General Santos City, Misamis Oriental, and Davao City.
Cold chain is a series of process undertaken to protect the quality, integrity, and to sustain the value of perishable products, as they are being transported from farm to markets.
At present, the cold chain industry in Mindanao enjoys the support of the Department of Agriculture (DA), which has a Cold Chain Program that seeks to develop a more competitive and viable vegetable production and marketing industry in Mindanao.
"I am very pleased to note that investments are coming in for the cold chain industry of Mindanao as this implies the private sector's serious intention to globalize Mindanao and be competitive with the rest of the regions all over the country," Leyretana said.
He added that the holding of the national cold chain forum in Mindanao manifests the industry's support to the President's development agenda, particularly the efforts to transform Mindanao as the country's main agro-fishery export zone.
More than 100 industry players in the supply chain for chilled and frozen food products from all over the country have converged recently in Davao City for the 4th annual general membership meeting.
The two-day forum held from June 21 to 22 was aimed at promoting a solid and upgraded cold chain system, which would ensure a sizable and growing market for Mindanao-produced vegetables, fruits and fish products.
Conducted in partnership with the USAID-funded Growth with Equity in Mindanao (GEM) Program, the forum carried the theme "Globalizing Mindanao-Building the Cold Chain Highway."
The forum also provided a venue for information exchange among the government, support agencies and various industry sectors that are linked with the cold chain industry about the investment potential for cold chain facilities in Mindanao; expansion of business linkages that may lead to trade and investment opportunities in the cold chain industry; as well as new technologies and trends to achieve effective handling, storage, and distribution of products in the cold chain.
(June 30, 2006 issue)
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