The government is inviting foreign and local companies to invest in the P8.5 billion 64-hectare mega food hub being planned in the aviation complex in Clark.
The project has initially earned the interest of operators of France’s Rungis and Spain’s Mercato.
The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), the Department of Agriculture yesterday signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Clark International Airport Corp. (CIAC) for this public-private-partnership project set for bidding within the year.
DTI Secretary Alfredo Pascual said Rungis, which manages a wholesale food market in France, has made studies and has been encouraging the Philippines to develop a similar project.
Pascual said the government will invite local conglomerates as most of the tycoons have been going into logistics to ensure stable food supply.
“We will invite them, they can form a consortium,” he said.
Pascual said the hub will be more than a “bagsakan” but will accommodate processing including slaughterhouses, canning among other facilities.
Arrey Perez, CIAC president, said the terms of reference for the project will be prepared for the public tender after the conduct of a feasibility study by the PPP Center and the Asian Development Bank.
Perez said the project is targeted for award in 2025 using the PPP model of design-finance-build-operate-maintain.
“The private sector will build the hub and we will value our contributon such as the land and the government assistance and regulations,” Perez said.
He said a market mission locally and internationally will be conducted starting this month.
“This project supports food sustainability and raises the standard of food preparation while modernizing agriculture logistics. This will allow farmers and livestock growers to become more competitive,” Perez said.
