UAE to help RP develop halal food, aggie produce

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) will help the Philippines develop its halal food and agricultural exports, following a visit there by Agriculture Secretary Arthur Yap.

Online news site Khaleej Times reported Sunday that Manila will send marine biology specialists to the UAE to inspect the country's mangroves as part of the agreement.

Yap went to Dubai for a three-day visit last week. He met with UAE Minister of Environment and Water Rashid Ahmed bin Fahad, who promised to improve Philippine halal exports through food accreditation and capital grants.

Also, Yap said UAE vice president and prime minister Shaikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum is considering the invitation extended by President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo to visit the Philippines.

Philippine halal food and agricultural exports to the UAE grew 39 per cent to Dh73.5 million ($20 million) last year.

Gil Herico, trade representative at the Philippine Trade and Investment Centre in Dubai, said Fahad had noted that the Philippines, being free from the dreaded bird flu, would be a good source for halal chicken.

Herico said the mangrove specialists from the Philippines would work closely with the Mangrove Scientific and Research Institute, in Umm Al Qaiwain, on how to manage the UAE's breeding grounds for fish species.

According to Herico, the specialists will first make an ocular inspection of the mangroves in UAE, study these and draw up recommendations on how to protect and develop them further.

"Later on there will be an exchange of experts and delegations between the two countries to strengthen co-operation in various fields," he said.

He added that the areas of co-operation between the UAE and the Philippines are in the Proposed Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) on Agricultural and Fisheries Co-operation that the two parties will sign in Manila by May.

Herico added Manila had closed for this year a total of Dh1.1 billion
($299 million) in purchase agreements for Philippine bananas and pineapples with various importers in the six-member Gulf Co-operation Council (GCC) bloc, Iran and Iraq.

He said 60 percent of the total purchases came from Iranian importers, who are even willing to buy more if the Philippines could provide such.

With a population of 74 million, Iran brought down its tariff on Philippine bananas and pineapples to four per cent from 25 per cent two years ago.

Also, Herico said Dh44.1 million ($12 million) worth of business deals, Dh18.4 million ($5 million) of which were booked orders, had been facilitated by the Philippine national pavilion at the recently concluded Gulfood Exhibition in Dubai, between Filipino producers and importers in the Middle East, Africa and Iran.

He said the deals, Dh25.7 million ($7 million) of which are still under negotiations, involved Philippine processed food and agricultural products, such as Filipino delicacies, desiccated coconut, coconut milk and fresh fruits and vegetables.

Herico said he is confident that Philippine exports to the UAE involving food and agricultural products would hit at least 40 per cent this year on growing awareness among Emirati businesses about high-quality Filipino products and the increasing number of Filipino workers in the UAE. - GMANews.TV

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