Agriculture woos Kuwait, Brunei to invest in halal sector

Manila Standard Today :The Agriculture Department has stepped up efforts to find new markets abroad for the budding halal industry, with initial talks held with Kuwait and Brunei on possible investment opportunities.

Agriculture Secretary Arthur Yap said separate discussions with the ambassador of Brunei and Kuwaiti officials brought new investment opportunities in the fledgling industry.

The government is offering two big-ticket investment proposals worth P3.04 billion in Mindanao to develop the industry and unlock its export potentials in the $500-billion world market,

Visayas and Mindanao have been declared free from foot-and-mouth disease but the World Animal Health Organization has not yet cleared Luzon.

Assistant Secretary Clayton Olalia said the halal food industry portfolio would include the economic zone in Davao City and a model poultry farm in Cagayan de Oro City.

Olalia said the proposed P2.2 billion Halal Economic Zone in Davao City would be the centerpiece of the investment portfolio being offered to overseas investors in the Middle East, Europe, Asia-Pacific and the United States.

The zone is expected to generate 24,000 new jobs for Muslim Filipinos and boost Philippines’ export earnings by at least $200 million yearly.

The other investment proposal package is an P840-million halal model poultry farm complete with research laboratories, abattoirs and other modern facilities.

Around 32,000 Muslim farmers and entrepreneurs in Mindanao are expected to benefit from the proposed initiative.