US firm to import coco water, calamansi juice

MANILA, Philippines - Sysco, an American marketer and distributor of food products, is planning to import coconut water as well as calamansi from the Philippines.

In a statement, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) said Sysco, which was among the firms that participated in the 9th International Food Exhibition (IFEX) Philippines last week, is interested in sourcing coconut water and tropical fruit juices, especially calamansi, from the country.

The IFEX was organized by the DTI’s Center for International Trade Expositions and Missions with the Department of Agriculture’s Agribusiness Marketing Assistance Service as a premier international sourcing hub for the finest ethnic Asian food, ingredients and raw materials.

“We need to figure out where the market is in the US.  We have to talk to our companies in those areas (Los Angeles, New York and Miami) if they can identify the restaurants to sell these products. It will be a small volume to start and develop,” Sysco senior director John M. Pollock said.

“We have to go back and present what we have seen here to the buyers in the US. If there is interest, we come back (in the Philippines),” he added.

Sysco distributes food products to restaurants, healthcare and educational facilities, hotels and inns.

“They (Sysco) will closely work with us to build the industry. They don’t just want to go and buy (food products). They want to build a sustainable relationship,” Philippine Trade and Investment Center in Los Angeles (PTIC-LA) trade representative Archimedes C. Gomez said.

The PTIC-LA is one of the DTI’s posts which promotes the country’s trade and investment interests in the US. 

Opportunities for the Philippine coconut industry are available in the US as coconut water is not only consumed as is but also used as water for coffee and mix for chasers there.

“It (market for coconut water) is a niche market. People consume coconut water because of its benefits,” Gomez said.

In 2012, Philippine coconut water export earnings from the US increased 29 percent to $14.2 million.

At present, the Philippines’ major exporters of coconut water are Fresh Fruits Ingredients, Inc., Peter Paul Philippines, Fruits of Life, Celebes Coconut Corp., Profood International, Atson Coco Inc. and AgriNurture Inc.