Agricultural advocacy group Tugon Kabuhayan is urging government to provide more help especially in logistics to encourage consumption of goods that are usually exported but have lost demand due to the pandemic.
One of these products is seafoods.
Group convenor Asis Perez in a virtual press conference said the local market can absorb the demand for seafoods but these products are only normally consumed by tourists and are mostly served in hotels and restaurants.
He said Filipinos can purchase seafoods now at reasonable prices.
Large crabs for export to Singapore that used to cost around P2,500 per kilogram. are now priced half of the amount.
“The Department of Agriculture’s Kadiwa project is a big help as the government is facilitating the transport of goods towards consumers. Maybe they could just add and offer it to more places that are not usually reached,” Perez added.
The Department of Trade and Industry’s Tradeline website showed the total export value of fresh or preserved fish, shrimps and prawn last year reached $411 million, making this product group the country’s 19th biggest export. – J. Macapagal
