The Deputy Head of the Polish Ministry of Agriculture also participated in the talks between the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Poland Radosław Sikorski and the Prime Minister of Malaysia Anwar Ibrahim, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Malaysia Mohammad Hasan and the Secretary of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of the Philippines Enrique Manalo.

Meeting with the Director General of the Department of Veterinary Services Malaysia

On 2 September, Deputy Minister Michał Kołodziejczak met with the Director General of the Department of Veterinary Services Malaysia Dr. Akma Binti Ngah Hamid. The talks concerned mainly the expansion of access to the Malaysian market for Polish agri-food products, including the elimination of administrative barriers encountered by Polish entrepreneurs.

The interlocutors discussed measures aimed at completing the access procedure for poultry and beef from Poland to the Malaysian market and leading to the resumption of Polish pork export – based on regionalisation in the field of African swine fever (ASF), in accordance with the guidelines of the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH).

Deputy Minister Michał Kołodziejczak stressed that Polish establishments complied with the highest veterinary standards.

– I hope that Polish meat will be available to Malaysian consumers as widely as Polish dairy products – he said.

Decisions of the Malaysian party

The Malaysian party confirmed the recognition of the regionalisation principle in relation to ASF, which in practice means the lifting of the ban on import of fresh pork, which has been in force since 2019. The Malaysian party also declared that in first half of September 2024 a risk assessment under the procedure for poultry meat would be carried out and indicated that its agreement to open the market for beef from Poland depended, inter alia, on the country’s status as regards bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE). The Malaysian party reported that it was analysing Polish comments on import requirements for beef from Poland.

Talks with Malaysian importers of Polish agri-food products

The meeting with the Malaysian importers of Polish agri-food products from Poland was held on 2 September. It was an opportunity to present the Polish food offer and to discuss trade barriers and administrative restrictions.

– The Polish Ministry of Agriculture will support the development of Polish-Malaysian business contacts in the agri-food sector – emphasised Deputy Minister Michał Kołodziejczak.

During the talks, further meetings were also planned, in an online formula, with the participation of Polish and Malaysian representatives.

Meeting with the Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Food Security of Malaysia

During the talks with the Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Food Security of Malaysia YB Datuk Arthur Joseph Kurup on 3 September, the parties confirmed their interest in strengthening cooperation in agricultural matters, including the intensification of trade in agri-food goods.

– I am very glad about this increased interest in Polish agri-food products in Malaysia – said the Secretary of State Michał Kołodziejczak and drew particular attention to dairy sector entities that successfully tapped the potential of the Malaysian market.

The talks also concerned access procedures for poultry meat, pork and beef. The parties agreed to continue the arrangements at the level of veterinary services of both countries. At the same time, the Malaysian party stressed the key role of the HALAL system in the production of animal products intended for the Malaysian market.

Talks at the Department of Agrarian Reform of the Republic of the Philippines

On 4 September, Deputy Minister Kołodziejczak met with the Secretary of State in the Department of Agrarian Reform of the Republic of the Philippines Conrado M. Estrella. The representatives of the Department of Agriculture of the Republic of the Philippines also participated in the talks. The meeting concerned, inter alia, the possibility of intensifying Polish-Philippine cooperation in the area of agriculture and exchanging experience on preventing the spread of animal diseases (ASF and HPAI).

Meeting with the Secretary of State at the Department of Agriculture of the Republic of the Philippines

On 5 September, Deputy Minister Michał Kołodziejczak met with the Secretary of State at the Department of Agriculture of the Republic of the Philippines Francisco Laurel Jr. During the meeting, they discussed opportunities of developing trade in agri-food products and veterinary matters. The Philippine party decided to recognise the Polish regionalisation system in relation to highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) at the voivode level. The head of the MARD delegation expressed his hope that regionalisation could be applied pursuant to EU law, i.e. a ban on the export of poultry meat only from areas where HPAI occurred, and not from entire voivodeships.

– We are striving to finalise the arrangements regarding the possibility of starting the export of beef and pork to the Philippine market on the basis of regionalisation applied in the EU – said Deputy Minister Kołodziejczak.

The head of the Polish delegation pointed out that Poland also expected the Philippines to accept the model health certificate in the export of eggs and egg products.

During the meeting, the issue of access of Polish apples to the Philippine market was also discussed. The MARD delegation presented a demand for the Philippine authorities to carry out an audit in the Polish sector of production of these fruit.

– Poland is a significant producer of apples in the world and we would like them to be widely available to Philippine consumers – said the Secretary of State Michał Kołodziejczak.

Visit at the Philippine Department of Health

On 5 September, the chairman of the Polish delegation, Deputy Minister Michał Kołodziejczak, met with the Secretary of State at the Department of Health of the Republic of the Philippines, Dr. Teodoro Herbosa. The talks concerned, inter alia, veterinary matters falling within the competence of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), i.e. processed products.

The Philippine party provided information about the rules for extending export to include processed poultry meat products, which were subject to FDA registration and approval.

– Poland is a significant producer of high-quality food products. We are ready to increase the food export volume and expand the product range intended for the Philippine market – said the Secretary of State Michał Kołodziejczak.

The Deputy Minister also expressed his belief that the signing of a memorandum on cooperation in the field of agriculture, which was under negotiation at that time, would be a stimulus to strengthen Polish-Philippine relations.

Polish agri-food export to Malaysia and the Republic of the Philippines

Malaysia and the Philippines are prospective outlet markets for Polish agri-food products.

In 2023, the value of agri-food export to Malaysia amounted to more than EUR 36 million. The most popular product is whey. In the period from January to June 2024, the export value of Polish agri-food products to this destination exceeded EUR 25 million, which means an increase by 47% when compared to the same period in 2023.

In July 2025, the MARD is going to participate in the Food & Drink Malaysia trade fair as part of the foreign fair and exhibition measures for 2025.

In 2023, the value of agri-food export to the Philippines amounted to more than EUR 41 million. The most popular products were milk, sour cream and whey. In the period from January to June 2024, the export value of Polish agri-food products to this destination was more than EUR 36 million, which means an increase by 41% when compared to the same period in 2023.