THE Philippines will host the 1st Agribusiness cluster meeting of the Brunei Darussalam-Indonesia-Malaysia-Philippines East ASEAN Growth Area (BIMP-EAGA), on June 18 to 20, 2013 at Hotel Centro, in Puerto Princesa City, Palawan.
About 100 delegates are expected to attend the BIMP-EAGA agribusiness cluster and discuss mutual cooperation to transform the sub-region into a ‘food basket’ or producer and exporter of various farm, fishery and processed food products for ASEAN, and the rest of Asia and the world.
The meeting will be chaired by the Philippines through Agriculture Undersecretary for field operations Joel S. Rudinas, representing Secretary Proceso J. Alcala, who will attend the 38th biennial conference of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations in Rome, Italy, June 15 to 22, 2013.
Rudinas said BIMP-EAGA delegates will discuss joint initiatives to ensure the sub-region’s long-term food security, optimize sustainable production of farm and fishery products, promote sustainable livelihood, and increase economic opportunities of small farmers and fisherfolk.
Among the priority projects that the cluster will tackle include: joint venture on production of hybrid rice seeds; harmonization of seaweed good aquaculture practices standards, and export development; information exchange through a web-enabled Food Security Information Management System (FSIMS); and conduct of the 2nd BIMP-EAGA and Indonesia-Malaysia-Thailand Growth Triangle Agriculture Conference in 2014.
The other projects are: strengthening of smallholder coconut–based industries; Sulu Celebes Sea sustainable fisheries management project; and establishment of BIMP-EAGA food, agribusiness and logistics corridor.
The BIMP-EAGA sub-regional cooperation initiative was established as a key strategy of the four ASEAN countries to address the social and economic development of their less developed and more remote territories by increasing production, trade, and tourism through public-private partnerships and joint venture investments.
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