MARKET DEVELOPMENT
Supply Doubted on Mindanao's Capacity to Export
Supply Doubted on Mindanao's Capacity to Export
30/09/2014 (Sun.Star) - Despite the assurance of Mindanao’s capacity to export that undersecretary Adrian Cristobal Jr., of the Industry Development and Trade Policy of the Department of Trade and Industry, pressed during the recently concluded Mindanao Food Congress last week, some questioned the island’s competence to supply the demands.
Cristobal highlighted Mindanao’s great role in the upcoming ASEAN integration during the food congress that closed on Friday, September 26, by citing the island as the country’s ‘food basket’ thus, playing a major role especially in the trading industry among the ASEAN member-countries.
In the National Industry Cluster Capacity Enhancement Project (NICCEP), priority industries in the country have been chosen after series of consultations were presented during the foodcon.
The industry mapping helped in identifying industries in the regions such as Luzon for its great potential in the milkfish, dairy, coffee, bamboo, tourism, information and communication technology (ICT), health and wellness, wearable and homestyle industry; Visayas has its gifts, decors and houseware, tourism, ICT, and health and wellness; and Mindanao's most potential would be its banana, mango, coconut seaweeds, wood, mining, tourism, ICT, rubber, poultry, tuna, oil palm and cacao, etc.
In linking prospect markets, Cristobal presented what China, Korea, Japan, Australia, New Zealand and India can offer and will need from us.
When it comes to food, houseware and accessories industry and resource–based exports with the ‘Most Favored Nation’ or MFN tariff and the ‘ASEAN free trade area’ or the AFTA tariff rate, great savings in the economy will be acquired once the country becomes part of the ASEAN.
Supply questioned
However, Rolando Dy, executive director of the Center for Food and Agri-business of the University of Asia and the Pacific, raised the issue of Mindanao’s supply when exporting.
“Yes, Mindanao can export. But the problem is not the market, it is the supply,” Dy said.
Dy emphasized the challenge to support the demand of the target markets while showing figures indicating the Philippines is way behind the productivity of other countries.
The Cavendish banana, according to Dy is dominant in the ASEAN and its market is expanding. “Strong product position, competitive in productivity, cost, quality, etc. are among its qualities. Yet, the expansion areas and the Panama disease continue to challenge its supply,” he said.
Cacao, coffee, cardava, corn, coconut, palm oil and rubber are among other examples of potential exports with demands growing in the coming years.
Dy said doubling of efforts to produce more quality products the country can export should be done to attain increase of the country’s production scale.
The food congress pointed out possible challenges and strengths of the Asean market, which usually are overlooked, yet have been discussed thoroughly among leaders such as offering solutions in coping with the demands of the coming integration.
Cristobal highlighted Mindanao’s great role in the upcoming ASEAN integration during the food congress that closed on Friday, September 26, by citing the island as the country’s ‘food basket’ thus, playing a major role especially in the trading industry among the ASEAN member-countries.
In the National Industry Cluster Capacity Enhancement Project (NICCEP), priority industries in the country have been chosen after series of consultations were presented during the foodcon.
The industry mapping helped in identifying industries in the regions such as Luzon for its great potential in the milkfish, dairy, coffee, bamboo, tourism, information and communication technology (ICT), health and wellness, wearable and homestyle industry; Visayas has its gifts, decors and houseware, tourism, ICT, and health and wellness; and Mindanao's most potential would be its banana, mango, coconut seaweeds, wood, mining, tourism, ICT, rubber, poultry, tuna, oil palm and cacao, etc.
In linking prospect markets, Cristobal presented what China, Korea, Japan, Australia, New Zealand and India can offer and will need from us.
When it comes to food, houseware and accessories industry and resource–based exports with the ‘Most Favored Nation’ or MFN tariff and the ‘ASEAN free trade area’ or the AFTA tariff rate, great savings in the economy will be acquired once the country becomes part of the ASEAN.
Supply questioned
However, Rolando Dy, executive director of the Center for Food and Agri-business of the University of Asia and the Pacific, raised the issue of Mindanao’s supply when exporting.
“Yes, Mindanao can export. But the problem is not the market, it is the supply,” Dy said.
Dy emphasized the challenge to support the demand of the target markets while showing figures indicating the Philippines is way behind the productivity of other countries.
The Cavendish banana, according to Dy is dominant in the ASEAN and its market is expanding. “Strong product position, competitive in productivity, cost, quality, etc. are among its qualities. Yet, the expansion areas and the Panama disease continue to challenge its supply,” he said.
Cacao, coffee, cardava, corn, coconut, palm oil and rubber are among other examples of potential exports with demands growing in the coming years.
Dy said doubling of efforts to produce more quality products the country can export should be done to attain increase of the country’s production scale.
The food congress pointed out possible challenges and strengths of the Asean market, which usually are overlooked, yet have been discussed thoroughly among leaders such as offering solutions in coping with the demands of the coming integration.