1/08/05 DAVAO CITY, (Asia Pulse) - Trade leaders in the Brunei, Indonesia,Malaysia, Philippines-East Asian Growth Area (BIMP-Eaga) are firming upstrategies to intensify growth of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) inthe region.

During the "4th BIMP-Eaga SME Development Cluster Meeting" in KotaKinabalu, Malaysia last week, SME key players vowed to strengthen palmoil, poultry, seaweeds and business development services as the championproducts for BIMP-Eaga.

Department of Trade and Industry Davao Regional Director Merly Cruz, wholed the 14-member Philippine delegation, said the priority products arethe key to the continued development of SMEs in EAGA.

The two-day meeting discussed the details of the proposed Palm OilBusiness Council and Conference; the proposed Seaweeds IndustryConference; status of the Business Development Services Project; and thebusiness plan of the Halal Poultry Project.

Cruz, also an alternate head of EAGA SME Development (SMED) Cluster, saidthey particularly discussed the promotion of palm oil as the focusindustry for the economic region.

She said a Palm Oil Industry Project has been prepared to facilitatesub-regional cooperation in areas of frontier planting; consolidation,logistics, shipping and transport; fertilizer and insecticide; tissueculture; BIMP-EAGA palm oil branding; and financing.

Also, Cruz said market opportunities for the Halal Poultry Project werealso emphasized during the meeting.

Under the Halal project, Brunei was tasked in the packaging of materials,inspection, financing, and Halal certification. Indonesia will beproviding adequate and cost-efficient supply of feeds while Malaysia andthe Philippines take charge of the breeding and operation of slaughterhouses and dressing plants.

Cruz said the move for economic integration is used as a strategy for theBIMP-Eaga's entry to the huge market of the Middle East for Halal poultryproducts in September this year.

BIMP-EAGA has conservatively projected a two per cent share of MiddleEast's annual demand for poultry products, estimated at 15,400 metric tonsper year.

(PNA)