Opportunities abound for organic food, retail and niche industries

MANILA, Philippines - Farmers and stakeholders can access their markets by ‘thinking outside the box,’ according to Paul Rubia, president of Agri-Aqua Network International, “For example, people are rediscovering the importance of fresh, nutritious, flavorful yet naturally-grown food, and this is making the organic food industry a diverse, lucrative business. With this increased awareness of safety and quality, retailers, farmers and entrepreneurs are also more focused on providing high-quality products that meet these dynamic consumer preferences. The key is finding a market that is big enough for them to serve profitably, yet unique and small enough for their production and distribution capacities.”

“In agribusiness, expanding the production base entails moving away from subsistence agriculture and enhancing and diversifying the farmers’ products, and at the same time increasing their quality and competitiveness. Sustainable niche mar-kets, like the organic food sector, would only be so if the production systems that support them are efficient, productive and competitive,” said Antonio V. Roces, president of Foundation for Resource Linkage and Development.

These different, integrated sectors of agriculture will be showcased through the country’s largest trade fair on agribusiness, food and aquaculture: AgriLink, FoodLink and AquaLink, to be held Oct. 7-9.

AgriLink 2010 will also feature various agricultural sectors such as animal health and nutrition, animal housing and breeding, equipment and machinery, facilities on cooling and storage, facilities on post harvest, feed ingredients, feed milling, greenhouse and nursery, horticulture inputs, meat products, organic farming and hydroponics, publications, research and consultancy services, seeds and planting materials, irrigation and watering systems, transport and logistics and waste management facilities.

AgriLink is also supported and co-organized by the Federation of Goat and Sheep Producers Associations of the Philippines, Inc., Agri-Aqua Network International, Bureau of Animal Industry, Cooperative Development Authority, Food Entrepreneurs and Exporters of the Philippines, Livestock Development Council, National Federation of Hog Farmers, National Onion Growers Marketing Association, Organic Producers Trade Association, Philippine Amalgamated Supermarkets Association, Philippine Association of Hog Raisers, Philippine Chamber of Agriculture and Food, Phi-lippine Coconut Authority, Philippine Crop Insurance Corp., Philippine Food Processors and Exporters Organization, Philippine Rice Research Institute, Philippine Sugar Research Institute Foundation, Postharvest Horticulture Training and Research Center, Supply Chain Manage-ment Association of the Philippines, Technology Resource Center, International Livestock and Dairy Expo, French Chamber of Commerce in the Philippines, Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources and the Department of Agriculture.

Through seminars, live animal and plant display and other special activities, the three-day event will highlight the latest technologies and inputs that will improve efficiency, competitiveness and sustainability of the interdependent industries of food, agriculture and aquaculture.

For inquiries and/or booth reservations, contact FRLD through 8384549, 8384852, fax 8384573 or email [email protected].