Philippines exporters earn $26 million from Paris food exhibition

MANILA, Philippines — Philippine exporters generated $25.7 million worth of initial export sales in a recent food trade exhibition in Paris, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) reported yesterday.

In a statement, the DTI said 13 Philippine enterprises, comprising 26 representatives, showcased their high-value coconut, cacao, coffee, and ube products at Salon International de l’Alimentation Paris (SIAL) held in Paris Nord Villepinte from Oct. 15 to 19.

The participating companies were Cattleya & Rose Gourmet Foods Trading, Century Pacific Agricultural Ventures Inc. (CPAVI), CocoPlus Aquarian Development Corporation, Fenor Foods International Corp., Hijo Superfoods Inc., Mardak Global Export Inc., Pasciolco Agri Ventures, Peter Paul Philippine Corp., Philippine Craft Distillers Inc., Prosource International Inc., and Unilab Inc. - Sekaya Global.

“The delegation was composed mainly of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and supported by the presence of large companies serving as additional anchors to attract the attention of foreign buyers to the Coconut Philippines Pavilion,”the DTI said.

The Coconut Philippines pavilion highlighted higher value-added coconut products as part of the approved activities under the Coconut Farmers and Industry Development Plan (CFIDP).

The delegation was led by DTI-Export Marketing Bureau (EMB) and supported by the Philippine Trade and Investment Center (PTIC) in Paris and the Center for International Expositions and Missions (CITEM).

“SIAL Paris 2022 is a launchpad for food innovation, trends, and sustainability. We are glad that through the promotion of Philippine coconut products in the global arena, we are also fulfilling the CFIDP’s mandate and goal to uplift the lives of the coconut farmers,” DTI’s officer-in-charge for trade promotion, Assistant Secretary Glenn Peñaranda said.

As the world’s largest exhibition for food innovation, the DTI said the SIAL Paris 2022 has provided a brand-new perspective and holistic approach to the future of the global agri-food industry.

It said the event also provided quality buyers and potential leads for the exporters.

During the opening ceremony of the Coconut Philippines Pavilion, Ambassador of the Republic of the Philippines to France Junever Mahilum-West highlighted the great potential of coconut products in the European market and the participation in the expo was not just a showcase but an integral step to helping local farmers in the Philippines in support for the CFIDP’s goals.

“We all know how important coconut is to the Filipinos and to our farmers. That’s why we are so proud to be part of this exhibit and show the world the coconut products from the Philippines,” Mahilum-West said.

“I was glad to know that many innovative products are made of coconut now, like breakfast cereals and coconut wraps which shows that all your needs for breakfast can come from the coconut. It is also very healthy because it’s plant-based,” she said.

Meanwhile,Official Representative for South Asia and Southeast Asia–Department of International Affairs of the Ministère de L’Agriculture et de la Souveraineté Alimentaire of France Christine Fortin expressed her interest in the diversity of coconut, cacao, and coffee products.

“I’m very impressed with everything that I saw just right now because we saw 13 booths with a huge diversity of products from the coconut tree. It was amazing to see the diversity and innovation aspect of these products,”Fortin said in an interview with PTV4’s Ulat Bayan.