Egypt, Philippines explore expanded agricultural trade, including Halal products

Egypt’s Agriculture Minister Alaa Farouk met a high-level Philippine delegation to discuss expanding bilateral agricultural trade and improving access of Egyptian products to Asian markets, the Ministry of Agriculture said Saturday.

The delegation was led by Zamzamin Ampatuan, Undersecretary for Mindanao Island and Director of the Halal Food Industry Development Programme (HFIDP), and included Crystal Ann S. Dunuan, Charge d’Affaires of the Philippine Embassy in Cairo. The meeting focused on ways to facilitate exports of Egyptian crops such as table potatoes, grapes, onions, and garlic to the Philippines.

Farouk said an official invitation had been extended to his Philippine counterpart to visit Egypt next month to review advances in the Egyptian plant quarantine system and global quality standards, paving the way for technical approval and the start of exports.

The minister also called for direct communication channels between Egyptian exporters and Philippine importers and pledged logistical and technical support to expedite trade in agricultural and animal-origin products.

The Philippine delegation highlighted the importance of Halal-certified food to serve the country’s Muslim population of over 8 million and expressed interest in frozen poultry imports. Both sides reviewed recent successes, including Egyptian clearance for Philippine durian exports, while the Philippines signalled plans to export high-quality bananas, pineapples, mangoes, and coconuts to Egypt.

Attribution: Amwal Al Ghad English