Higher agri productivity pushing agribiz expansion

The country’s increasing agricultural output is pushing the agribusiness industry to expand its markets locally and abroad.

This was revealed by the Foundation for Resource Linkage and Development (FRLD) in the wake of the five-percent growth in farm productivity in the second quarter of the year due to the absence of the El Niño weather problem and increased government spending on fertilizers, irrigation and other support infrastructure.

The government’s planned increase of 22 percent in this year’s infrastructure spending, especially on roads and bridges, will further boost agricultural growth and trigger expansion of agribusiness operations across the archipelago, according to the FRLD, a non-government organization serving the industry.

Echoing a report from the National Economic and Development Authority, FRLD president Antonio V. Roces said similar positive effects on agricultural output could be attributed to the huge investments in mining, the ongoing tourism boom, and sustained remittances from overseas Filipinos, all bringing purchasing power and capital to the countryside.

Roces added, though, that the increased agribusiness output "is creating the need for more markets" for its products and services to sustain the growth momentum both in the B2B (business to business) and B2C (business to consumer) operations.

"Such local and global market linkages along the supply chain all the way to the consumers must be continuously expanded and strengthened to ensure the viability and competitiveness of our agribusinesses and enhance their economic contributions as a growth engine," Roces explained.

The venue for such linkages is being provided by Agrilink, Foodlink and Aqualink, which constitute the Philippines’ biggest and most prestigious annual international events on agribusiness, food, and aquaculture.

Agrilink is now on its 13th year, Foodlink on its seventh, and Aqualink on its second. All will be staged at the World Trade Center on Oct. 5 to 7 to gather the world’s leading players in various agribusiness fields and generate opportunities for new enterprises, joint ventures, marketing tie-ups, booked and direct sales, and import-export, among others.

Agribusiness products account for a considerable portion of the country’s total exports, which grew by 15.2 percent year on year to $14.75 billion in the first trimester.

Roces said local players could also tap the vast export market through the many foreign firms participating in Agrilink, Foodlink and Aqualink.

These events are organized by the FRLD and supported by the Department of Agriculture, National Agricultural and Fishery Council, Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources, and 20 major trade associations in the country.

Inquiries and/or reservations can be made with FRLD (tel. nos. 838-4549, 838-4852; fax 838-4573, or email [email protected]).

This year’s trade show will feature agricultural chemicals, animal breeds and breeding facilities and supplies, animal health and nutrition products, aquaculture equipment, beverages, cooling and storage systems, dairy products, agribusiness machinery, feed ingredients and probiotics, feed mills, fertilizer and pest management tools, fishery products, food ingredients and additives, packaging materials and equipment, food processing, fruits and vegetables, greenhouse and nursery, horticulture inputs, irrigation technologies, meat products, organic farming and hydroponics, post-harvest facilities, processed food, seeds and planting materials, transport and logistics, waste management, and such other allied industries as communication and information, technology, financial institutions, publications, and consultancy and research services.