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San Miguel Corp., the biggest food and beverage conglomerate in Southeast Asia is looking into the possibility of taking over the operations of global agro-industrial company Dole Food Co. in the Philippines, as well at other opportunities offered by Dole beyond local shores. San Miguel president Ramon Ang disclosed that somebody approached them and they are now looking at it.

Dole, a California-based company has announced earlier this year that it would undertake a world-wide asset sale and debt reduction program.

San Miguel used to have a minority stake in Del Monte Pacific Ltd., the main rival company of Dole in the Philippines. But San Miguel sold its share two years ago to its joint venture partner, the group of condiments magnate Jose Campos, Jr.

Del Monte Philippines, whose product lines include canned pineapple solids, canned mixed fruits, canned beverages, packaged fruit snacks and tomato sauce, has a total labor force of almost 6,000 regular employees.

The company operates agricultural and industrial facilities in Mindanao – a 24,000-acre base plantation, two cannery complexes with a can plant, a packaging plant and fresh fruit packaging plant. It also has a shipping and wharf operation with a box and labels plant. It also has 18,000 acres of grower farms in South Cotabato and Sarangani.

Dole Philippines also produces and exports Cavendish banana to Japan, China, Korea, Hong Kong, New Zealand and the Middle East. It controls about a third of the country’s banana industry in terms of plantation size and volume of shipment throughout Asia-Pacific.