Yap, UAE minister reach accord on halal prod’n, water management

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Agriculture Secretary Arthur C. Yap and UAE Minister for Environment and Water Rashid Ahmed bin Fahad agreed  yesterday to pursue joint effort in the areas of water management, distribution and conservation, coastal resource management, halal food production, and fruit and  vegetable production.

The two officials  agreed to cooperate  and  submit proposals for possible grants by the UAE with the agreement to be formalized in Manila.

Yap extended an official invitation to Fahad to visit the Philippines sometime in May after the UAE minister attends a halal convention in Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia.

Fahad  will schedule the visit following consultation with UAE Prime Minister Sheik Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum who was also invited by President Arroyo to officially visit the Philippines. According to Yap, the Philippines and UAE have complementary requirements.

Yap said the UAE is an expert in water management, conservation and distribution, even as it lacks adequatewater resource.

The Philippines, on the other hand, has plenty of water but lacks the technology to manage and distribute its abundant resource.

Likewise, the UAE requires food products such as poultry, beef and even pork for its huge expatriate and for the Filipino community.

The UAE also requires fruits and vegetables not only for itself but also for distribution to its neighboring Gulf Cooperation Countries.

The Philippines has the land to produce the requirements of the UAE and the GCC, but lacks adequate funding to increase food production.

The UAE would also be crucial to assisting the Philippines attain its halal certification and develop a proposed $2.1 billion halal hub in Davao.

At the close of the GulFood Exhibition, the Philippine delegation booked sales amounting to $5 million and is negotiating an additional $7 million.

According to Agriculture Undersecretary Berna Romulo-Puyat, the Philippines’ participation in the exhibit was a success and the Philippines plans to secure a much larger booth in next year’s exhibit so that more exporters will be able to participate and showcase more Philippine agricultural products.

Puyat said that Dubai is a hub which the Philippines can tap to distribute even more products to the Middle East.