Southern Mindanao traders eye Arab mart

DAVAO CITY — Southern Mindanao-based businessmen are eyeing the huge market in the United Arab Emirates, hoping to sell as much as P25.2 billion worth of food products.

Department of Trade and Industry Region XI director Merly Cruz said three large firms in Abu Dhabi expressed willingness to absorb the food products from the region, particularly, banana, processed and canned tuna, mango, milkfish and other food exports.

Cruz, who headed a delegation of Southern Mindanao traders on a recent business trip to Abu Dhabi said the P25.2 billion worth of food exports shall be shipped within a period of three years. The deals were sealed in the contracts signed during the said trade mission that was participated in by local companies like the Alsons Aqua Corp., RD Group of Companies, Sagrex Corp. and A&J Seafoods, Inc.

"We hope that from Abu Dhabi, we will also be able to export to other markets in the Middle East. The results were so encouraging for the local businessmen," Cruz said.

The thousands of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) based in the UAE are considered to be the ready market for the said food products as well as the 3.5 million Arabs who have solid purchasing power.

Cruz said the total amount of P25.2 billion that represented the deals closed during the said business mission, actually exceeded the initial target of only P2.2 billion.

"We found out that there is indeed a big market in the Middle East that all that is needed is to tap it by establishing the right connections," Cruz said.

The Davao City Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Inc. (DCCCII) was also represented during the trade mission in an effort to establish links with the other traders in the Middle East.