The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) will organize local food processors listed under its One Town, One Product (Otop) program to create an industry roadmap as part of preparations for the targeted Asean Economic Community by 2015.
“We already have their information in our database. All we need is to identify and start first with those products that has huge potential and help them through the roadmap. For this we will coordinate with the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) because they are also helping us out on the packaging technology which we think is really important for our products,” Nelia Navarro, provincial director of DTI, said.
She said despite the presence of many food processors in Cebu including those who manufacture dried mangoes, there is no unified roadmap that will serve as a guide for all the stakeholders on where the industry can still go and what the stakeholders should do to tap and explore more markets.
“In the countryside alone, there are already many products in the province under the Otop that have huge potential for growth and expansions like the torta (traditional cake) in Argao, vegetable pickles in Dalaguete, and chicharon (pork crackling) in Carcar City. But because of the absence of the roadmap, these processors are doing their own thing and continue to do their business with traditional packaging and business operation styles,” she said.
Other countries in the region like Thailand, Indonesia and Malaysia already utilize superior packaging technology and are exporting their products to other countries.
“In Cebu we have very delicious processed products however, while these products are very delicious, we think that they will still need superior packaging because it will really make a big impact on its attractiveness to the consumers. People when they see something with poor quality packaging will always conclude that the product is of poor quality so they don’t buy it,” Navarro said.
Navarro said that this will be one of the priority areas that will be included in the unified roadmap for the food processor sector.
The DTI will be coordinating with the Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCCI) in the crafting of the roadmap because some chamber members are also into food processing and may already have existing programs for them as well.
“This so we achieve a collaborative effort and not duplicate each other. We need all the players even including the big players who have already made a name for themselves abroad. We will need their expert inputs to the roadmap,” Navarro said.
One of the programs that CCCI currently have that may be included in the unified roadmap is the development of organic farming in Cebu which is being done in partnership with AFOS Foundation for Entrepreneurial Development of Germany.
“We can integrated the program into the roadmap so that farmers in the different towns of Cebu will know more about organic farming and its huge market potential not only in Cebu but globally. These farmers can sell and package their products as processed or raw.”