More agriculture produce eyed for export

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Agriculture (DA) aims to export more farm products amid an expanded value chain and stronger collaboration with the private sector.

Agriculture Secretary William Dar recently attended the Export Development Council meeting with the Department of Trade and Industry where he pushed for an increase in the country’s exports of farm and fishery products as the DA focuses on diversified and expanded value chain from farms and fishponds.

“We need to have a systematic and long-term strategy to develop and promote exports of both raw and processed agricultural and fishery products,” Dar said.

“We will push for more exports of farm and fishery products to propel the agri industrialization of the Philippine countryside,” he said.

EDC is the export promotion arm of the DTI mandated to institutionalize the national export drive that will enable the country’s products to compete globally.

Dar emphasized the need for an aggressive and sustained export promotion as he urged the private sector to help small farmers and fisherfolks through the “big brother-small brother” approach.

“Exports of agri products should not depend on surplus production to supply the international market. We need to have the economies of scale on-farm production that will give us sustained quantity and quality of export products,” Dar said.

Latest data showed that top Philippine agriculture exports reached $5.88 billion from January to November 2019, with bananas accounting for 30 percent or $1.77 billion.

Coconut oil exports came in second at $837.6 million, followed by processed food and beverages at $726.6 million, pineapple ($545 million) and tuna ($390 million).

Completing the top 10 agriculture exports are processed tropical fruits worth $267 million, desiccated coconut ($227.7 million), seaweeds and carrageenan ($221.8 million), fresh and preserved fish ($214 million) and unmanufactured tobacco ( $141 million).

However, Dar challenged the country’s exporters to diversify their products, to include emerging export winners like fresh and processed tropical fruits, natural rubber, and other coconut products like coconut water and coco sugar.

“We can do much better if we bring our resources together. The way forward really is for government to strongly partner with the private sector,” he said.

Dar has instructed the Bureau of Plant Industry, Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources, Philippine Coconut Authority, and the High Value Crops Development Program to elevate their game in partnering with big agribusiness firms, small and medium enterprises, and organized farmers and fishers to develop more innovative and competitive agri-fishery export products.

Data showed that farm and fishery products accounted for 9.1 percent of the country’s total exports, worth $64.58 billion from January to November 2019.

Electronic products remained as the country’s top foreign exchange earner with exports reaching $36.56 billion.