Generic pineapples

Japan and the Middle East are the focus of a new export push being coordinated by the Philippines Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), the Philippine Daily Inquirerhas reported.

The campaign will see 18 Philippine companies travel to Japan in March to attend the International Food and Beverage Exhibition (Foodex).

The delegation is being coordinated by DTI and the Centre for International Trade Expositions and Missions (CITEM), with a specific emphasis being placed on promoting the South East Asian nation’s tropical fruits.

“The Philippines has superior quality and export-ready fruits and fruit products, and rigorous promotions are being done to position the country as the sourcing destination of the best ingredients and food products in Asia,” CITEM executive director Rosvi Gaetos told theDaily Inquirer.

“Data showed the Philippines dominating Japan’s tropical fruits imports, supplying 99.7 per cent of its pineapples, 93.3 per cent of its bananas, and 27.3 per cent of its mangoes. That in itself is a feat, given the highly-discerning Japanese market.”

The move follows the success of a recent Philippine delegation to the Middle East, where exporters strengthened ties with trading partners from Gulf Cooperation Countries (GCC).