SMEs to join gov’t roadshow promo in Middle East

Seven Philippine small enterprises will join the government roadshow promotion from Nov. 17 to 26 in the Middle East to try to tap into the $12 billion Middle East food industry market, according to the Center for International Trade Expositions and Missions (CITEM), the export promotion arm of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI).

The Philippine delegation will include Florence Foods Corp. (fruit preserves, marine products, virgin coconut oil, noodles, frozen root crops and vegetables); Monde Nissin Corp. (biscuits, cookies, cookie sandwich, cracker sandwich, pastry type, wafers); Q-Phil Products International (noodles, condiments and sauces, bottled sweet preserves); RFM Corp. (recado mixes, native cake mixes, pasta spaghetti sauce, noodles, fruit drinks, flavored milk, ice cream, canned processed meat); Philippine Grocers Food Exports Inc. (assorted food products); Republic Biscuit Corp. (biscuits, cakes, seeds, wafers, candies, snack items) and W.L. Food Products/Sam Lim Corp. (corn snacks, fried green peas, coated peanuts).

The mission group is composed of manufacturers and exporters with Halal-certified products and which have plans of expanding their export base in the lucrative and large collective markets of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC-7) member countries: Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, and Yemen.

Reports say that the global Halal food market is set to reach $500 billion by 2010.

The roadshow dubbed "IFEX Philippines Goes to the Middle East" is organized by CITEM and the Philippine Trade and Investment Center in Dubai, United Arab Emirates and the Philippine Embassies in Qatar, Bahrain, and Kuwait.

The IFEX Roadshow will include round table discussion with the Dubai Food Authority on the updated market entry requirements for imported food, courtesy calls on Philippine Embassies in areas concerned, pre-arranged business matchings with leading food trade associations and importers, and visits to key food retailers and wholesalers of Philippine food products in identified Arab states.

The trade event also intends to reinforce the Philippines’ grip on the million-strong Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) based in the Arab peninsula.

Last year, Philippine exports of food and food preparations reached $1.7 billion, posting a 4.9 percent increase over 2004 figures. Meanwhile, a total of $47.4 million worth of Philippine food products was imported by the Middle East particularly the U.A.E., Qatar, Bahrain, and Kuwait.