THE Department of Agriculture (DA) strengthens its support to the livestock and poultry industries in Davao region as the Association of South East Asian Nation (Asean) economic integration takes place.
DA Regional Director Remelyn Recoter said that food business sectors in livestock and poultry industries should acquire the Philippine national standards in exportation to compete with other Association of Asean countries.
She said agencies under DA will focus on the accreditation of the establishments that includes the Bureau of Agriculture and Fisheries Standards, which formulate the different standards to stakeholders from structures to feed lots, among others, and the National Meat Inspection Services, which ensures the consuming public in food safety both in foreign and domestic and local populace.
These accreditations include Good Agricultural Animal Husbandry Practices, Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP), Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) and other national standards.
"We need to comply with these standards as Philippines being a signatory for trade organization and other trade agreements by lateral or multilateral agreements with the different countries across Asia, Asean and the rest of the world," Recoter said.
Recoter also said that the livestock and poultry industries will be boosted on thoroughly for this will be part of the priority industry clusters of the Regional Management Council among the industry roadmaps of Davao region.
One of the business sectors being assisted on by the DA under the NMIS is the Peking duck dressing plant at Tamugan, Marilog District which already exported their product to Japan.
The corporation also plans to export this October from their initial export of 2,000 kilos last March and April this year.
NMIS said they had assisted the corporation to link to the foreign market through the facilities, technical assistance, accreditation, mandatory application for GMP needed by double A accredited establishments up to the HACCP which is the equivalent requirement for the international level.
The corporation targets to venture now in China and Singapore markets and NMIS is helping them prepare through assuring a sustainable produce once it started.
NMIS is also assisting the Subzero Ice and Cold Storage Meat Processing Plant in Binugao, Toril. The corporation already sent a sample of their Yakitori produce to Japan.
Recoter asked the city, municipal and provincial veterinary offices and livestock inspectors as well as the support from the partner food business sectors to assess in complying with the accreditation requirements gearing up the country in a competitive Asean integration.