December 15, 2014

Philippine poultry sector primes up for export demand

The Philippines expects some PHP500 million (US$ 11.190 million) in new investments in its broiler and layer sector as it tries to meet strong demand both locally and from overseas, its agriculture department said.

According to the daily Philippine Star, agriculture undersecretary Jose Reaño said that several projects had started while a foreign investor is expected to enter the country in 2015.

"We have a very vibrant poultry industry", he said. "We can't cope with South Korea's demand although we are accredited and we are also negotiating with Japan and working out the Middle East market".

The chicken dressing plants of San Miguel Corp. in Quezon province south of Manila earlier this year passed the sanitary and phytosanitary requirements of United Arab Emirates, while Bountry Fresh has been accredited by the Korean Quarantine Inspection Agency for chicken exports.

The Philippines also now exports yakitori or chicken nuggets to Japan as its poultry sector remains free from bird flu.