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Writer: DA Communications Group | 28 Could 2022
Agriculture Secretary William D. Dar and Deputy Director Soo-jin Cho, with Assistant Director Chan-hwei Lee of the Imported Meals Inspection Administration below the Korea Ministry of Meals and Drug Security (MFDS) met on Could 27, 2022 to finish the plans for the Mutual Recognition Association (MRA) on Meals Security of Philippine Exports to Korea.
Secretary Dar underscored the significance of the MRA assembly as it’ll construct higher relationship between the 2 international locations and usher in elevated exports of Philippine seafood and fisheries merchandise whereas guaranteeing meals security for the Korean customers.
The MRA will even facilitate digitalization and environment friendly export doc submission by means of the implementation of e-health certification of contemporary and processed fishery merchandise from the Philippines certain for Korea, mentioned Maria Aleli Maghirang, agriculture attache to Korea.
The Korean mission additionally visited Cebu and Common Santos to examine the operations and meals security compliance of three Filipino agri-fishery processing enterprise companies, particularly: Siargao Bounty Seafood Corp.; Philippine Union Frozen Fish Inc.; and MK Smoked Fish Company. They’re main exporters of Philippine octopus, abalone, and smoked fish to Korea.
On December 20, 2021, the Philippine Agriculture Workplace (PAO) in Seoul facilitated and finalized the signing of the Particular MRA between MFDS and the Division of Agriculture – Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Sources (DA-BFAR) that might be lastly executed on June 20, 2022.
In accordance with MFDS, among the many 9 international locations they’ve an MRA, the Philippines is so far the quickest to implement after six months of finalization. The nation might be additionally the primary among the many fisheries buying and selling companions of MFDS to adapt the e-certification system, mentioned Dr. Cho.
The Philippines enjoys a good stability of commerce with Korea, regardless of some manufacturing and logistical challenges over the past two years because of the COVID-19 pandemic, registering a surplus of greater than US$ 288 million (M) final 12 months, Secretary Dar mentioned.
In 2021, the Philippines exported US$526 M price of varied farm and fishery merchandise, which is 20 p.c (%) larger than in 2020, mentioned Maghirang. Of the whole, fishery merchandise amounted to US$ 29.5 M final 12 months, majority of that are high-value merchandise like octopus, abalone, black tiger prawns, sea cucumber, and smoked tuna.
Secretary Dar additionally expressed his gratitude and appreciation to the MFDS for donating a pesticide analytical tools, by means of one other Korea ODA challenge, to boost the potential of the DA’s Bureau of Plant Trade (BPI) to additional increase exports of contemporary Philippine fruits to Korea. He additionally requested MFDS Director Cho for the same intervention, and continued help technical help to the DA-BFAR to enhance and modernize its laboratory tools that may pave the way in which to extra exports of fishery merchandise to Korea. ###
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