Sustaining the development of the grains industry through standardisation: the philippine experience

摘要

The effective implementation of national grains standards, notably for the major staples of rice and maize, is the key factor in the evolution of a dynamic, progressive and globally competitive grains industry, particularly among developing countries. Standardisation efforts in the grains industry, along with similar efforts in all other sectors of the economy, gain critical significance in modemising the industry and agriculture sectors as the Philippines gears up for the challenges and opportunities of globalisation in the 21~st century. This paper presents the Philippine experience in pursuing its national grains standardisation program. It highlights the strategies and significant achievements, as well as constraints and prospects of the program, nearly three years after its launch. It also underscores the prospects of promoting harmonisation of the national grains standards with prevailing international standards toward enhancing trade and economic cooperation among countries in the Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN) and Asia-Pacific regions.