BUTUAN CITY -- Butuan Coconut Products Inc. (BCPI) achieved a significant milestone by obtaining its US Food and Drug Administration (USFDA) Food Facility Registration.
The said registration enabled them to directly export virgin coconut oil (VCO) to the US market as their primary product.
The BCPI is one of the Department of Trade and Industry’s beneficiary of the program on Rural Agro-enterprise Partnership for Inclusive Development and Growth (RAPID) through the assistance of its provincial office in Agusan del Norte.
The department assisted them through facilitation of seminars and support services such as market research, assistance, and promotion through the DTI- Coconut Farmers Industry Development Plan (CFIDP).
DTI also ensured their participation in the Kapatid Mentor Micro-Entrepreneurs - Money Market Encounter (KMME-MME) online event even during the COVID-19 pandemic. They further provided opportunities to BCPI to participate in both local and national trade fairs.
In addition, BCPI participated in the ProPak in Thailand with the assistance of DTI-Caraga, as Asia’s leading exhibition for processing and packaging technology.
BCPI President Mina Montilla-Ladlad expressed her utmost gratitude to DTI stating, “I’d like to emphasize the help we received from DTI. I myself didn't realize it until you had me list everything out for you the numerous assistance we received to reach this milestone. Their assistance has been incredible. It's always been DTI Agusan del Norte, DTI Caraga, and the DTI Head Office who have helped us and continue to do so.”
BCPI also recognized the invaluable help of other agencies and organizations such as the Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA) Caraga and PCA- Agusan del Norte, CREATE FOODS, Butuan On Producers Association Inc. (BOPAI), and Go Negosyo towards their success in obtaining the US Food and Drug Administration (USFDA) Food Facility Registration.
The DTI Head Office is now supporting BCPI’s preparation for European Union (EU) export through the ASEAN Regional Integration Support by the EU (ARISE) Plus Program, a collaboration with the International Trade Centre of Switzerland and the European Union (EU). (DTI-Caraga/PIA-Caraga)
