Phl exports agri-products to Argentina

The Department of Agriculture (DA) is keen on shipping tuna and agri-based products to Argentina, which is seen as a potential market for agricultural exports.

In a recent meeting with Argentine Ministry of Labor and Production Undersecretary Pedro Manuel Vigneau, Agriculture Undersecretary for Operations Ariel Cayanan discussed possible areas of cooperation between the two countries.

Cayanan said the Philippines looks to export tuna and products like abaca and others as coco chips, coco sugar, coco oil, frozen and tropical fruits, among other to Argentina.

He also said the Philippines also plan to import cattle from Argentina.

Cayanan also highlighted the need to initiate a partnership on grain storage and drying technology.

For its part, Argentina proposed to export some of its products like livestock and dairy to the Philippines.

Currently, the two countries are finalizing a memorandum of agreement to create a general collaboration framework in the livestock, agricultural and agro-industrial sectors.

The Philippines and Argentina initially drafted an MoU on agricultural assistance and cooperation for the livestock industry in March 2018.

Earlier, Argentina also offered technical assistance in developing drying technology and grain storage in the country.

According to the Philippine Statistics Authority, the country’s total external trade in goods in May stood at $15.58 billion or a 3 percent deterioration from $16.06 billion in the same month last year.