Malaysia F&B expo generates $4.3 million sales for Philippines firms

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines has generated $4.3 million worth of initial export sales in the recent food and beverage (F&B) expo in Malaysia, according to the export marketing bureau of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI-EMB).

In a statement, the DTI-EMB said the initial export sales were generated at the four-day Selangor International Expo- F&B from Oct. 6 to 9 in Kuala Lumpur Malaysia.

The Selangor International Expo 2022 is an influential food and beverage trade exhibition that focuses on the global food and beverage industry.

On top of the $4.3 million worth of initial exports, the DTI-EMB said the Philippine delegation also generated an additional $5.4 million worth of potential leads at the expo.

The Philippine delegation, composed of 16 coconut, coffee, and cacao producers, was led by the DTI-EMB and the Philippine Trade and Investment Center (PTIC) – Kuala Lumpur.

Among the companies that participated were Amazing Foods Corp., Benevelle Corp., Cocoplus Aquarian Development Corp., Federation of Peoples’ Sustainable Development Cooperative, Fruits of Life Inc., Greenlife Coconut Products Philippines Inc., JNRM Corp., Pasciolco Agri-Ventures, The Superfood Grocer Phil. Inc., Tongsan Industrial, Development Corp., TreeLife Coco Sugar, Wellnesscare International Corp., Project Beans Trading, VerraCoffee Inc., and MS3 Agri-Ventures Corp.

The country’s participation in the F&B expo is one of the initiatives of the DTI to promote the country’s coconut sector in international markets.

Under the Coconut Farmers and Industry Development Plan, the DTI has been assisting coconut farmer enterprises in entering/growing their presence in global markets through the implementation of extensive market research and strategies for the promotion of coconut products.

“We are proud to showcase premium Philippine coconut products at the Selangor International Expo – Food and Beverage 2022. With the many health benefits that coconut products provide, we are confident that these products will cater to the discerning taste of the Malaysians and certainly make a good impression in Malaysia,” Philippine Ambassador Charles Jose said during his speech at the opening ceremony of the Philippine Pavilion.

Aside from the events at Selangor International Expo, a briefing for the DTI and Philippine exporters was held to provide updates on the Malaysian market, importation process in Malaysia, food and safety and quality requirements for imported products, and e-commerce onboarding and networks in Malaysia.

In 2021, Malaysia ranked as the Philippines’ 10th largest trading partner and 11th biggest export market.

Philippine exports to Malaysia grew by 6.89 percent from $1.77 billion in 2020 to $1.89 billion in 2021.

Based on the Export Potential Assessment undertaken by the International Trade Centre, the Philippines has the potential to increase its exports of coconuts by $620.2 million, coffee by $1.4 million, and cacao by $12.5 million.

Trade Secretary Alfredo Pascual earlier said the DTI would transform agriculture and agribusiness in the country by adopting new technologies and innovations.

He cited coffee as one of these industry clusters as he emphasized the need to develop coffee grower clusters and processors.