Davao chicharon maker eyes Pinoy market in Dubai

DAVAO CITY, Philippines — A small food processor in this city will start trial shipment of its microwaveable chicharon (fried pork skin) to Dubai next month, and is targeting Filipino stores based there. Porky Best Products, which obtained a certification from the Bureau of Food and Drugs (BFAD) in August, will initially ship about 30 cartons containing four packs of chicharon. A Filipino consolidator in Dubai will shoulder the cost of freight and quarantine requirements, owner Alicia F. del Mundo said. She said the products would be sold to Filipino stores targeting migrant workers in Dubai. The pellets have a longer shelf life — up to a year — compared with regular chicharon products that last for only a month. "The chicharon is ready to eat, you just put it in our food grade bag and into the microwave for one to two minutes," Ms. del Mundo said. Porky Best Products has been an awardee of the Department of Trade and Industry and the Davao City Chamber of Commerce and Industry under the small and medium enterprise category. Ms. del Mundo said a businessman in Australia had brought samples after being introduced to the company’s products during an international food exposition in May. A few days later, the businessman called up to order more chicharon after its restaurant was deluged with inquiries from customers. But Ms. del Mundo said Australia is a very difficult market with all its quarantine requirements, unlike Dubai which asked only for a certification from the BFAD. "When it comes to food, there’s no economic crisis. Chicharon is very versatile. You can mix it with noodles, pinakbet, or as a viand," she said. The company can produce a ton of raw materials, it is looking at expanding by buying modern equipment and transferring its processing facility to a bigger location. It churns out 300 kilos of finished products daily, which it supplies to supermarkets in this city. Porky Best has applied for a P15-million loan from the Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Competitiveness Enhancement Fund for its proposed processing plant. "But that’s still three to five years away," Ms. del Mundo said. — Joel B. Escovilla, BusinessWorld