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By Ira Karen Apanay, Senior Reporter
TO find new markets for local farm produce, the
Department of Agriculture has set aside P19 million for 2008 to
ensure the Philippines’ participation in at least 19 international
and local trade events and food fairs here and abroad.
Agriculture Secretary Arthur Yap said the
department’s Export Development Team led by Undersecretary Berna
Romulo Puyat is targeting at least $121.61 million in sales and
orders from the Philippines’ participation from international and
local trade events.
“We also aim to join in at least five
international trade expos to be held locally, where we target to
seize at least $10 million in total sales and orders,” Yap said.
The Agriculture secretary said that these
include the International Food Expo in Manila in May; World Food
Expo Visayas in Cebu City in April; International Food &
Beverage Expo in August; Agrilink/Foodlink 2008 in October; and the
Asean Food Expo in September.
Yap added the Department is targeting at least
$111.61 million from international events that include the recent
Boston Seafood Show in Boston and the Gulf Show in Dubai.
The upcoming food fairs are the Foodex Japan in
Chiba; the Food and Hotel Asia 2008 in Singapore in April; Seoul
Food in Korea; World of Foods Thailand in Bangkok in May; Taipei
Food Show in Taiwan; Water Expo or Expo Zaragoza in Spain in June;
Hong Kong Food Expo in August; World of Foods Moscow in September;
and the Fifth China Asean Expo in Nanning City, Guangxi Province in
October. Also lined up are food fairs in Paris and Shanghai.
During Yap’s recent trade mission to the
United States, Filipino seafood exporters closed a deal worth $6.5
million for Philippine products like tuna, octopus and bangus, and
fish ham and sausages from the country’s participation in the
Boston Seafood Show, the largest American seafood exhibition.
He also sealed an earlier commitment by firms
from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to buy $5 million worth of goods
from at least 10 Filipino export companies that participated in this
year’s Gulfood 2008 in Dubai, while a total of $7 million in sales
are now under negotiation.
The Agriculture Export Development Team, Yap
said, was able to book a total of $749 million in negotiated and
booked sales and orders for Philippine fresh and processed food
items through its participation in trade shows and missions in the
US, UAE, Australia, Belgium, Hong Kong, Taiwan, China, South Korea,
Japan, Germany, Thailand, Canada, New Zealand and Russia.
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