February 15, 2007
San Miguel Corporation to export raw chickens to Hong Kong
Philippine food giant San Miguel Corporation (SMC) may start exporting raw chicken meat to Hong Kong this month and also eyeing South Korea and the United Arab Emirates, reports the Philippine Star daily.
Agriculture Secretary Arthur Yap said that RFM Corporation is also planning to ship its chicken and chicken products abroad in anticipation of a surge in demand for bird-flu free poultry products.
Yap said SMC has sent its representatives to Hong Kong, along with representatives of the National Meat Inspection Service (NMIS), to secure the necessary accreditation for ship raw chicken meat to the former crown colony.
The Philippines has an existing accreditation for the export of chicken hotdogs to Hong Kong.
The initial volume to be exported by San Miguel is expected to be at a minimum as it is yet to establish its market.
San Miguel resumed exporting chicken to Japan in July last year.
The Philippines, along with Singapore and Brunei, remains among the three countries in Southeast Asia that are bird flu-free.
Yap has called on local poultry growers to capitalize on its bird flu-free status and increase exports of chicken products. He added raisers could easily increase their exports by 10 to 20 percent.
The agriculture secretary noted cited China, Japan and Korea as among the possible export markets for Philippine chicken products.