RP food firms sell $37M  in German food fair

Philippine food manufacturers sold $36.62 million worth of processed agricultural products during an international food fair in Germany.

Total sales posted by Philippine exhibitors in this year’s Anuga 2007 held in Koln Messe, Germany expanded by 52 percent from the $24 million sold during the previous trade show two years ago.

The country’s participation in the Anuga food trade show was carried out by the DA’s export development team to help boost Philippine agri-exports.

Agriculture undersecretary for special concerns Berna Romulo-Puyat led the export team to broaden the country’s agri-export base and to create alternative markets abroad for Philippine agriculture and fisheries products.

Puyat said the best sellers among the Philippine agri-commodities during the fair were desiccated coconut, dried mangoes, banana chips and canned tuna.

In the previous exhibit, the top Philippine agricultural exports to Germany were skipjack and Atlantic bonito, tuna, desiccated coconut, coconut oil, banana chips, carageenan, abaca pulp, coconut fatty acid, coconut methyl ester and frozen shrimps and prawns.

The total value of Philippine agriculture exports to Germany last year was $64 million.

“Fourteen of the Philippines’ top food manufacturers represented the country in the event, which was attended by around 163,000 visitors from 175 countries,” Puyat added.

The agcriculture department wants to aggressively open up new markets especially for fisher folk and farmers, which is part of Yap’s five-point program to sustain and accelerate farm growth and raise rural incomes by making agriculture more profitable for its small stakeholders.