For week ending May 6, 2010

       The CIIF Oil Mills Group, according to Arranza, is investing about P100 million for expansion and upgrading of MRC capability to produce high value products such as specialty fats and oils and expand market base to include biscuit companies and other consumers. This would cement MRC?s dominant market position to 27 percent from improved sales of 100,000 metric tons compared to 25 percent and 95,000 metric tons sales last year. There are over 100 cooking oil brands being marketed in Luzon alone excluding several regional cooking oil brands.

       This year, Minola hopes to hit close to P2 billion in revenues from sale of about 100,000 MT. This represents an increment of 17% from prior year at P1.7 billion and volume of 95,000 MT. Arranza said Minola is supported by 18 field sales and thousands of agents in an efficient distribution system. For export activities, Arranza said Minola is now becoming a popular brand in Canada (margarine); United States (in PET bottle); Korea (PET bottle); China (industrial shortening); Pakistan (refined, bleached and deodorized oil) and Japan. India is even interested in licensing the name ?Minola? for its own market, he added.

       Market shares of other vegetable oils imported during the month were lower than 9.0% and in volume terms under 300 MT. Nevertheless, respective year-on-year growths were remarkable: rapeseed oil at 282 MT (nil last year), soybean oil 112 MT (+17.3% vs. 95 MT), olive oil 112 MT (+52.7% vs. 74 MT), corn oil 97 MT (+127.7% vs. 43 MT), linseed oil 56 MT (nil), sunflower oil 40 MT (+130.3% vs. 18 MT). An exception was sesame oil which dropped 61.8% to 16 MT from 42 MT. There was no import of coconut oil and palm kernel oil during the month as opposed to 1 MT and 68 MT, respectively, recorded at the same time last year.

       Shipment from Singapore totaled 140 MT and contributed 4.3%. The product mix consisted of soybean oil 74 MT, corn oil 40 MT, sunflower oil 19 MT and sesame oil 6 MT. Other suppliers provided between 2 MT and 67 MT and included the following in descending order: Spain, Belgium, Denmark, Italy, Taiwan, USA, Turkey, Switzerland, Korea, and Greece.

       The company has been participating in international trade fairs to gain access to more markets. Lately, it participated in the Natural Products Expo West/Supply Expo held in March this year at the Anaheim Convention Center in California. ?SC Global wants to continue to develop markets abroad. That?s why we are very active in participating in trade fairs in the US, Europe and Asia,? Mr. Licup said. The company produces organic crude coconut oil; virgin coconut oil; coconut fatty acid distillate; organic flour; refined, bleached and deodorized coconut oil; cochin oil; copra cake and meal; as well as coconut biofuel and lubricants.

       The country?s increased purchases are due to rising requirements from the pork, cattle, poultry and aquaculture feed industries, said Nguyen Huong of USDA. UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) data show Vietnamese cattle meat production almost doubled between 2003 and 2008, while pig meat output rose 42% in the same period. Andrew Speedy, FAO?s chief representative in Hanoi said that while there is the potential to expand soybean production the country, there is still no capacity for soybean processing. The first commercial crushing facility in Vietnam will not begin operating at full capacity until the third quarter of 2011.

       NMPF describes use of the dairy term in non-dairy products as ?false and misleading? labeling. Jerry Kozak, NMPF president and CEO, accuses the FDA of letting the issue slide so that the meaning of ?milk? has now been ?watered down to the point where many products that use the term have never seen the inside of a barn.? Kozak went further suggesting that use of dairy terminology on non-dairy products can lead people to think that they are eating a healthier product than they really are. Meanwhile, over in Europe, the European Dairy Association also has similar concern and has called for the term ?soy milk? to be replaced with ?soy drink?, ?soy beverage?, ?soy preparation?, or ?soy-based liquid?.

       In 2009, Europe (led by Germany and France) was still the main producer and held a global share of 49.8%, followed by the Americas (the US, Argentina and Brazil) with a 32.8%, and Asia Pacific with a share of 4.4%. The report highlighted one producer in Asia Pacific to watch. ?China has become the world?s largest automotive market, surpassing the US in terms of units sold. This, along with China?s concern for energy security, has led to increased government interest in developing an alternative fuel vehicle market,? said GlobalData.

       Since 2006, the Timbues port grain terminal has served as an operational platform on the Parana River, occupying 231 hectares and 2,100 meters of waterfront. ?At over 200 hectares, the Timbues port terminal and oilseed processing complex is our largest facility in South America, with about half of the site still available for future expansion,? said Richard Elman, chairman of Noble Group. ?The world has a growing appetite and we are well positioned to supply oil, meal, corn and grains globally.?

       Headquartered in Canada, Viterra Inc. provides premium quality ingredients to leading global food manufacturers. It operates in three distinct businesses: grain handling and marketing, agri-products, and value-added processing. Its global agribusiness has extensive operations across Western Canada, Australia and New Zealand, with Adelaide, Australia as the base of the company?s Southeast Asian operations. Guangxi Beibu Gulf International Port Group Co. Ltd. is a state-owned company of the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region Government responsible for the operations of the three coastal ports that comprise the Ports of Guangxi.