DALIPUGA, Lanao del Norte — Pilmico Foods Corp. (PFC) expects its flour milling business to grow 10 percent to P5 billion this year, Antonio Moraza, president and chief executive officer of the company said yesterday.
Moraza made the optimistic forecast despite a 10-percent to 15-percent drop in demand due to the high cost of importing wheat which is the primary input in the production of flour.
Moraza believes the slump in demand is seasonal and that demand would pick up as the holiday approaches.
Pilmico produces several brands of soft and hard flour.
Its hard wheat flour, also known as bread flour, is sold under the following brands: Sun-Moon-Star, Glowing Sun, Wooden Spoon, Sunshine and Kutitap.
Its soft wheat flour is marketed under the brands Wooden Spoon cake flour, Gold Star and Megastar.
It also produces and sells so-called siopao flour under the brand Wooden Spoon.
Other wheat-related products include wheat germ and wheat flour sold under the Wooden Spoon brand.
Aside from flour, Pilmico produces high-grade base feeds which is a by-product of its flour milling process.
Moraza said Pilmico, controls about 16 percent of the flour market, pretty close to San Miguel Corp. which holds 17 percent to 18 percent.
Pilmico also produces animal feeds. It inaugurated this week a P400-million feed mill facility in Davao to service its customes in the Visayas and Mindanao region. – Marianne Go