Millers push for increases in flour-based consumption

Philippine bakers are urged to develop better bread products in order to encourage consumers to eat more bread, just like in other countries.

Although the Philippines has a large number of food products that are flour-based, the consumption of flour in the country has remained stagnant over the years, which indicated that Filipinos' preference to eating flour-based or bread products, has not improved for years.

For this reason, the Philippine Association of Flour Millers, Inc., (PAFMIL), in partnership with the U.S. Wheat Associates, launched the "Mabuhay Tinapay" program, a signature campaign aimed at getting Filipinos to eat more bread, highlighting the health and economic benefits of eating breads.

Brushing off trade competition, local wheat flour millers have combined resources with U.S. Wheat Associates, the marketing arm of American wheat farmers, in an effort to increase the Filipinos' appetite for pandesal, monay, loaf bread, and other wheat flour-based delicacies.

PAFMIL executive director Ric M. Pinca said the consumption of flour in the Philippines has remained flat in the last few years, the declined of the unmoved demand for flour products in the Philippines, could be attributed to the weak economic situation in the country.

In an interview, Pinca said the movement of flour demand in the Philippines, goes with the performance of the economy. "If the economy is good, more and more people eat sandwich, hamburgers, and breads," he added.

However, despite the "still" recovering economic situation in the Philippines, demand of flour products is expected to grow in the next few years, because of more active campaign among flour millers, and bakers association to drum up interest of bread, as part of Filipinos' staple food, not only during breakfast, but in other full meals and snacks.

The US Wheat Associates' in the Philippines represented by Mark Samson, is committed to provide assistance to Filipino bakers in terms of developing better bread products to the Filipino consumers.

The US Wheat Associates' is a non profit organization which role is to help provide technical assistance for bakers to produce better bread products all over the world. The organization is currently working with 80 countries worldwide, including the Philippines.

The Philippines is the third largest consumer of US-produced wheat. Japan in number one, second is Egypt, said Samson.

Last year, the Philippines imported about 1.6 tons of U.S. produced wheat, this is expected to double in the next few years, after the aggressive campaign on "Mabuhay Tinapay" is being launched, Samson said.

"We believe it's about time that Filipinos would recognize the benefit of eating bread. Now, that millers have improved its flour products and incorporated already more vitamins such as Vit.A, iron, folic, consumers can not only get large amount of protein and carbohydrates to bread products, but other needed nutrients also," Pinca said.

Pinca, together with Samson were in Cebu recently to lead the Cebu-leg of "Mabuhay Tinapay" launching. PAFMI is also working closely with the Bakers Association of the Philippines for the campaign.

According to Pinca, Cebu is a very vital province of this campaign, not only because of the good economic performance here, but also because it is the home of successful bakeshops in the country, like Julie's Bakeshop, La Fortuna, among others.

Aside from RFM Corporation, the other members of PAFMIL are Wellington Flour Mills, Philippine Foremost Milling Corporation, Morning Star Milling Corporation and Delta Flour Mills.