October 9, 2006
 

New meat plants to open in Mindanao

 

 

Two meat processing facilities with export processing facilities would be opened in Mindanao in a pursuit to penetrate the European market.

 

According to the Manila Bulletin, the Matutum Meat Packing Corporation (MMPC) and Nenita Quality Foods Corporation (NQFC) are eyed to produce meat compliant with global export standards.

 

Dr. Elizabeth Callanta, deputy director of the National Meat Inspection Service-Department of Agriculture (NMIS-DA), said the two plants would need an accreditation from the NMIS-DA before it can become fully qualified to export in the EU.

 

The MMPC in Polomolok, South Cotabato, would have a meat processing capacity of 120 heads per hour.

 

The NQFC in Davao City has its own farm but would also source its meat for processing from the Southern Cotabato Swine Producers Association and the Davao Hog Raisers Group.

 

Another slaughterhouse facility is proposed in the Visayas area particularly in Bacolod City which would be run by the local government.

 

Southern provinces can export processed meat because it is free from the foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) which has been plaguing other regions.

 

The Philippines has also just restored its poultry export, mainly of yakitori or chicken barbecue, to Japan. The country exported 1,500 tonnes of poultry products to Japan in 2004 until it was banned in July last year due to the presence of low pathogenic bird flu found in the duck farms in Bulacan.

 

Chicken producers had also been able to export chicken to Mozambique as of late last year and to Angola.

 

The NMIS reported that chicken frankfurters were also exported to Hongkong and China.

 

From January to August this year, the country already exported a total of 1,632 MT of poultry meat. Destinations include China, Curacao, Hongkong, Kuwait, Malaysia, Mozambique, Angola, Korea, Japan, United States, and a little volume to Singapore.

 

The government has been trying to raise consciousness on the need for accreditation of meat establishment to ensure quality of animal food products both for the local and export market. In 2004, the NMIS accredited a total of 374 meat facilities. This number increased a little to 379 in 2005 consisting of 129 slaughterhouses, 68 poultry dressing plants, and 129 meat processing plants.