Mindanao meat producers eyeing global market

KORONADAL CITY, Philippines - The Department of Agriculture in Region 12 -- inspired by the country’s recent export of organic rice to Dubai and Hongkong -- is keen on establishing linkages between local livestock producers and buyers in foreign markets.

While Region 12 is a known agricultural and fisheries zone, many farmers in the region are engaged in livestock-raising, either in poultry or cattle ventures, as secondary source of income.

Amalia Jayag-Datukan, director of DA-12, told The Star on Friday that officials of the agriculture department from different regions and their counterparts in the Department of Trade and Industry had extensive sessions on how to penetrate the global market during the June 20-21 National Meat Cluster Harmonization and Convergence Workshop.

The workshop, held at the Tierra Montana Hotel in Gen. Santos City, was attended by private organizations that also want to benefit from strong market linkages abroad.

Jayag said the discussions during the workshop delved on the need to actively involve the private agricultural sectors for the government to succeed in exploring the export viabilities of locally processed poultry and meat.

“We need to reinvigorate the standing of our products to compete in the global market by offering fresh and processed meat products that are of high quality,” Datukan said.

Assistant Agriculture Secretary Davinio Catbagan, who attended the workshop held in General Santos City, was quoted by Datukan as saying that their central office is now reviewing a “national roadmap” meant to push the country’s livestock industry forward.

The roadmap, according to Datukan, is parallel with the department’s initiative of forging strong market ties between local producers and buyers in foreign countries.

Officials of the DTI, citing recent studies, said there are huge market potentials for pork products in neighboring Asian countries, and “Halal” goat meat in the Middle East and several other Islamic states elsewhere..

Halal is Arabic for butchered animals and all other food products free from “haram,” or forbidden contaminants, and processed according to Islamic rules.

There are Muslim clerics and religious organizations in Central Mindanao that have projects advocating for the halal food production concept.

The regional livestock coordinator of DA-12, veterinarian John Pascual, said that what local livestock industry stakeholders need is guidance on how to find market contacts abroad.

Datukan and Pascual both said their regional office here will embark on various activities soon to hasten the attainment of the department’s objective of working out the export of local meat and poultry products.