Egypt's Minister of Agriculture and Land Reclamation Alaa Farouk met a high-level Philippine delegation to discuss expanding bilateral agricultural cooperation and removing export barriers. The talks focused on opening the Philippine market to Egyptian products such as table potatoes, grapes, onions, and garlic, with an invitation extended for a visit to review Egypt's quality standards. The Philippine side expressed interest in leveraging Egypt's expertise in frozen poultry to address market shortages.
In a meeting in Cairo, Egypt's Minister of Agriculture and Land Reclamation Alaa Farouk discussed with the Philippine delegation, led by Zamzamin Ampatuan, Undersecretary for Mindanao Affairs at the Philippine Department of Agriculture and Director of the Halal Food Industry Development Programme, ways to enhance bilateral agricultural ties. The delegation included Crystal Donuan, Chargé d’Affaires at the Philippine Embassy in Cairo.
Farouk emphasized the strategic value of accessing the Philippine market for Egyptian agricultural goods, particularly table potatoes, grapes, onions, and garlic. He extended an official invitation to his Philippine counterpart to visit Egypt soon, aiming to evaluate the country's agricultural quarantine system and international quality standards, finalize market-access protocols, and initiate actual exports. The minister instructed officials to provide logistical and technical support while establishing direct links between Egyptian exporters and Philippine importers to boost trade in agricultural and animal products.
The Philippine representatives voiced interest in adopting Egypt's frozen poultry expertise to tackle domestic shortages and underscored the significance of halal-certified foods, given the over eight million Muslims in the Philippines. The discussion also covered recent bilateral trade advancements, such as Egypt's approval of durian imports from the Philippines, and the latter's intent to export additional items like bananas, pineapples, mangoes, and coconuts.