October 23, 2012
Philippine poultry growers to tap South Korean market
After Seoul deemed the Philippines compliant with its safety and regulatory standards, the latter is encouraging its poultry growers to start tapping South Korean market.
Agriculture Sec. Proceso J. Alcala said he has called on small poultry growers and broiler integrators to initiate negotiations with possible takers of local chicken in South Korea.
"The government has already done its assignment. I think it's about time for the private sector to initiate discussions for the export of chicken," said Alcala in an interview.
The chief of the Department of Agriculture (DA) said one of the factors that discouraged the private sector from shipping to South Korea is that Seoul had initially wanted small-sized chicken.
"South Korea said it is already open to accepting big-sized chicken so let's hope that we will no longer encounter problems in our bid to export chicken," said Alcala. Aside from chicken, the Philippines has also been trying to access the South Korean market for the pork products of local manufacturers.
The Philippines is keen on taking advantage of its avian influenza (AI)-free status and is seeking to ship out chicken to more markets abroad. So far, the Philippines is one among the few countries in Asia that remains free from the dreaded AI which has crippled poultry industries in the region.
The opening of South Korea for local chicken products is one of the agenda of the Philippine-South Korea bilateral meeting on agriculture held in Manila in November last year. Alcala had asked South Korean Minister of Agriculture, Forestry, Fisheries and Food Suh Kyu Yong to fast track the final analysis on poultry products from the Philippines.
Alcala said South Korea, which currently imports their chicken requirements from the US, is "more partial" to chicken produced from the Philippines because it is tastier. He said the South Korean market is as huge as the Japanese market which has already relied on the Philippines for its poultry products following the onslaught of the AI virus in Thailand.
