February 29, 2012

In the first week of March, Japanese quarantine officials are expected to visit the Philippines to inspect and accredit meat processing plants planning to export pork to Japan.

"We are planning to bring them to Mindanao and even to several other sites in Luzon where we have our AAA processing facilities. We know that the Japanese market is strict when it comes to food preparation. We hope that our facilities are good enough to service their needs," Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala told reporters.

Japan, which has already been importing chicken from the Philippines, has recently expressed interest to also source pork from the country. San Miguel has been exporting yakitori chicken to Japan since 2004 after complying with stringent Japanese requirements. The company forecast a 50% growth in yakitori chicken exports to Japan.

Malaysian companies have also expressed interest in importing both chicken and pork meats from Philippine producers. The Philippines is looking to export pork to Singapore and South Korea.

The Philippines has also asked South Korea to start the analysis of locally-produced pork. Korean company Sinwoo Food Inc. is negotiating for a possible chicken trade agreement with the Philippines.