PHILIPPINES - Good news is just around the corner for livestock and meat exporters of the Philippines, says Agricultural secretary Arthur Yap.
Having been hit badly by the strengthening peso the industry will take relief with the extension of the Agricultural Competitiveness and Enhancement Fund (ACEF) until 2015.
Yap said Congress' approval of the law will allow the Department of Agriculture (DA) to use the P7.4 billion funds to bankroll much needed projects meant to sharpen the competitiveness of Filipino farmers in the face of global free trade.
Yap said among the steps he has undertaken is to order the National Meat Inspection Service (NMIS)to waive the collection of inspection and laboratory fees on pork and pork products.
To support this, he said the DA will establish regional laboratory facilities in the cities of Cebu, Cagayan de Oro and other key export growth centers so that laboratory testing will be cheaper.
Yap said the DA's efforts to promote Philippine livestock and poultry products overseas is expected to bring Mindanao's frozen pork products to Singapore and Japan in the months to come.
On the other hand, Yap said the DA is pursuing measures to boost the incomes of livestock and poultry exporters is keeping with the mandate of President Arroyo for the DA to focus on food production and job generation.
DA reported that the gross value of livestock and poultry production shot up by 5.04 percent to P163.2 billion and by 6.77 percent to P117.7 billion in 2007, respectively.
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