Food, agriculture sectors eye expansion via global linkages

Upbeat on their steady growth, the country’s agriculture and food sectors are eyeing expansion and modernization via global linkages, through which they can source advanced technology, additional capital, and capture both local and foreign markets.

This optimism is based on the rising demand for food and agriculture products worldwide, partly as a result of the continued growth in global population, and cross-border travel and communications that generate acceptance for exotic commodities.

Such an immense market offers bright prospects to the global food and agriculture sectors, especially those in Asia where most of the world’s supply is projected to emanate.

In the Philippiness, these sectors continue to grow despite the many limitations, according to the Foundation for Resource Linkage and Development (FRLD), which provides such global linkages to the local industry.

"Since the economic recovery in 1999, the country has continuously posted a growth rate of three to five percent. The agriculture sector, the mainstay of the economy, grew by about four percent in 2000 and is projected to reach five percent in 2002," said FRLD president Antonio V. Roces.

"Moreover, the buying capacity of local consumers is expected to improve especially in food and drink, which account for about half of Filipino household expenditures. These improvements mean a need for additional sources of raw materials and new technologies to produce, process and market better agricultural and food products. Benefiting from these demands will be the agribusiness and food industries," Roces explained.

These new technologies, which virtually emerge yearly, are being made available locally by FRLD through Agrilink and Foodlink, the Philippines’ biggest and most prestigious international agribusiness and food trade show slated at the World Trade Center Metro Manila annually.

Only last year, companies that took part in Agrilink and Foodlink conducted 20 technical and livelihood seminars. Some of the topics presented were artificial insemination in practice, recent advances and development in swine nutrition, diversified species for freshwater aquaculture, status of fish health in the Philippines, food and feed safety of biotech products, dry pea for feed and food applications, and critical roles of packaging in the global market.

The participants included companies from the US, the Netherlands, Denmark, Austria, Germany, Italy, Israel, United Kingdom, Belgium, France, Malaysia and other Asia Pacific countries, whose latest products, technologies and services went on exhibit at the 3-day trade show and attracted more than 14,000 visitors.

With the participation of both local and foreign firms, the trade show posted the country’s biggest assembly of food and agricultural products for that year, which FRLD now wants to surpass in this year’s Agrilink and Foodlink.

Designed to be bigger and better, Agrilink 2002 will be the ninth since 1994, and Foodlink 2002 the third since 2000. These twin events are slated in the same venue on Oct. 10-12.

Organized by the FRLD, the trade show is supported by the Department of Agriculture, National Agricultural and Fishery Council, and 29 local industry associations. Other details can be obtained from the FRLD (tel. 8384549, 8384852; fax 8384573, or email [email protected])