The
opening of the country’s agricultural market to the importation of corn
will boost its bid to a fair share of the Halal market of the Middle
East.
Mindanao
Business Council chair Vicente Lao said in an interview that one major
factor affecting the bid of the Philippines to be the prime exporter of
chicken with the Halal certification is the high price of corn in the
country today.
“There
is no more problem about the Halal certification, the question is are
we competitive enough to export in the Middle East,” Lao said.
Lao
said that with the high price of corn in the local market, doubled with
the high importation duties imposed upon corn, the price of chicken in
the country is not competitive enough in order for it to capture the
Middle Eastern market.
The MBC chair added that the present importation duties imposed on corn is pegged at 65 percent.
“If
only the local price of corn can be reduced, or if we can only open our
markets for the importation of corn, then we have a good chance of
capturing the Middle Eastern market,” Lao said.
Lao
said with the good standing of the Philippines as a bird flu free
country, the country is competent in playing it out in the
international arena, only if corn prices were lower. (CPM)
