Pilmico doubling flour export volume

ILIGAN CITY, Philippines— Pilmico Foods Corp., the food unit of conglomerate Aboitiz Equity Ventures Inc., aims to double its monthly flour exports and penetrate new markets as part of efforts to enhance its competitiveness.

Iligan Florencio Sebandal, vice president for operations at Pilmico, said while the company is relatively new in exporting flour, it aims to double its export volume to at least 4,000 metric tons per month.

Pilmico is set to complete its P200 million packing line for flour by the end of the year.

“The line will cater to the export flour requirement because the export market is sensitive. They have different specifications and requirement. The quality will be affected if it will be combined with requirements locally,” Sebandal said.

Pilmico currently exports to Indonesia, Vietnam, Thailand, HongKong, Myanmar and Malaysia.

Sebandal said the company has yet to identify new markets outside of the ASEAN region.

Sebandal said the company’s move to focus on exports was to counter the effects of the ASEAN integration that has been affecting the overall growth of Pilmico, and other companies as well.

“Because of the integration, they are now in the Philippines and that’s one of the reasons why we cannot grow since the volume is being eaten by the imported market and they are even building their own mill,” he said.

“Local demand is being taken by imported flour because it is cheaper. This is like a counter attack on the entry of imported ones,” he added.