Delegation advances access for South African fruit exports to the Philippines
A South African fresh fruit and government delegation has returned from the Philippines with high hopes that the country’s apples and pears will soon have access to a new Asian market.
Werner van Rooyen, executive at the Fresh Produce Exporters’ Forum (FPEF), said the delegation was pleased with discussions with Philippine authorities and that the country offers great opportunities for South African exporters because of its dynamic economy.
“The Philippines remains one of Asia’s most dynamic economies. Between 2014 and 2019, the country sustained an annual average GDP growth rate of 6.54 per cent, driven by resilient domestic demand and a strong services sector,” he noted.
The FPEF, as part of a Fruit South Africa delegation, visited Manila to speed up market access for South African fruit and build new commercial links in one of South-East Asia’s fastest-growing consumer markets. The delegation included representatives of Fruit South Africa, the FPEF, Citrus Research International (CRI) and the Department of Agriculture. South Africa’s Ambassador in the Philippines, Bartinah Radebe-Netshitenzhe, led the engagements.
Van Rooyen said the delegation met the Philippines Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI) to review several market access matters.
“Most importantly, the next in line market access item is pome fruit. South Africa is finalising its comments on a draft workplan from the BPI. The workplan followed a verification visit to South African pome fruit production sites, earlier this year,” he said.
Both governments are also continuing technical discussions on optimising the citrus protocol, including improved cold-treatment options for South African citrus.
“Market access is pursued one commodity at a time, and stonefruit is next on the priority list. The delegation also met leading Philippine fruit importers. These importers see growing opportunities for especially South African citrus, grapes and blueberries,” he said.
Importers noted that practical improvements, such as longer import permit validity to allow for longer shipping times and deal with potential logistics delays, would also help expand trade.
“The Philippines is a consumer-driven market with a strong retail and foodservice sector. The industry will keep working with the South African government and Philippine partners to finalise outstanding market access matters,” Van Rooyen concluded.
