Singapore’s Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority technical teams have recently started their 10-day onsite inspection of Philippine’s vegetables, hogs, fruits, poultry, and egg farm products as the latter braces to export its agricultural products to the Lion City, its nearby ASEAN country.
This was according to Philippine Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel Piñol. He cited the inspection of the country’s farms is a crucial step in the anticipated importation by Singapore of its selected Filipino agricultural products.
Among the identified products for export to Singapore include fresh and high-quality vegetables and fruits, pork and processed products, dressed chicken and eggs and some aquatic products like fisheries and edible shells.
Sec. Piñol cited Philippine produce is seen to fill the need left by Malaysia when it began to refrain from exporting poultry products to Singapore.
Kok Li Peng, Ambassador of Singapore to the Philippines, was very delighted, as Sec. Piñol reported, when he approached her in December last year, asking if the Philippines could supply the eggs and the poultry needs of Singapore.
Prominent business families such as the Gokongweis and Aboitiz showed interest in exporting agricultural products to Singapore.
The facilities inspected were Pilmico layer farm in Tarlac of the Aboitiz Group and the Robina Farm in Cavite of the Gokongwei-led Universal Robina Corp.
Other farms were the egg layer farm of Gemsun Marketing and egg processing of Novoagri Inc. These farms are in Batangas, located in the northern Philippines, and the southern part of Mindanao such as Ana’s Breeder Farms, Davao City, and Matutum Meat Packing Corp., General Santos City.
For next month, the agricultural department of the Philippines will conduct a Philippine Agri-Aqua Food Show in Singapore to highlight the best products that the country can provide to Singapore.
In May, a Singapore delegation will be coming to the country to finalise the negotiation of the country’s product exports.
Sec. Piñol already reached out to Amb. Kok Li Peng providing a formal offer in supplying Singapore’s food requirements.
In 2009, the Philippines was about to export pork to Singapore during the Aquino administration. However, the Ebola outbreak that transpired in Bulacan, the northern part of the country, aborted the plan.