The Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI) and four other business organizations are backing the P455-million contract entered into by the department of Agriculture’s National Agribusiness Corp. (Nabcor) for the purchase of 98 freezers using the new brine immersion freezing (BIF) technology.

The businessmen issued a joint statement support after witnessing a demonstration of the BIF technology at the Sentrong Pamilihan in Sariaya, Quezon, recently.

Officers of the PCCI, Pork Producers Federation of the Philippines (PPFP), Philippine Food Exporters and Processing Organizations (Philfoodex), Philippine Mango Exporters Foundation, Inc. (PMEFI), and Philippine Okra Producers and Exporters
Association (POPEA) said these BIF freezers will help small farmers and fisherfolk preserve their produce for several days without losing their freshness and taste and thus improve their income.

BIF freezers will allow fisherfolk to store their fish in standard styrofoam boxes for two to three days without using ice, which means they would not buy ice to help preserve the quality of their catch.

“Consumers also get to benefit from this new technology because they can buy two-day or three-day old stored fish that looks as fresh and tastes as good as newly caught ones,” Roberto Amores said. “They are likely to be able to buy fish and other foodstuff at cheaper rates in view of the lower transportation and handling expenses of producers.”