Food Exporters Target EU Market

Food Exporters Target EU Market The country's food exporters are bent on expanding its presence in the European Union (EU), a confederation of 27 member-states and the world's single largest trading body, via its hotel, restaurant and catering (horeca) sector that represents a market worth $97. Gaetos, however, sees opportunities for CITEM and its partner, the Department of Agriculture - Agribusiness and Marketing Assistance Service, to further raise the Philippines' share in EU's total imports through the country's participation in Salon de l' Alimentation (SIAL) 2012, the world's second-largest international biennial food fair that draws more than 130,000 trade visitors from 200 countries. The region, according to EU Ambassador Guy Ledoux, imports from the Philippines 75 percent or P21 billion worth of all its coconut oil requirements, P7. Gaetos pointed out as proof the almost 1. Of that number, over half were restaurants and 43. Philippine food exports rose 21 percent during the first four months of the year significantly resulting from aggressive promotion abroad by CITEM, whose overseas campaigns generated total sales of US$87 million in the first 50 % of 2012 alone, with $12. "Thus, we (CITEM and DA-AMAS) are inviting our food companies, from the large to the small, to join the Philippine delegation and make use of Europe's increasing demand for Asian food and ingredients brought about by the growing number of health-conscious consumers and the large ethnic groups residing in wealthy EU economies. "This EU sector (horeca) presents a key and strategic market for the Philippines' high-value food and beverage products," Gaetos stressed. Earlier, the United Nations Food and Agricultural Organization projected global food imports to reach a brand new record of $1. "Slated at the Paris Norde Villepinte on October 21-25, SIAL 2012 will enable the Philippines to showcase its ethnic food flavors and exotic fruits and introduce new SMEs (small and medium enterprises) to the European market and the rest of the world," Gaetos said, citing the support of the DA-AMAS as a co-organizer of the Philippine participation in this event. "They include Asian migrants and tourists, and the more than 500,000 EU-based Filipinos, all constituting a huge demand that major retailers in Germany, Belgium, Italy, France and the UK are eager to offer," Gaetos explained. To house the country's exhibits in SIAL 2012 will be the Philippine Pavilion, featuring fresh, frozen and dried fruits and vegetables, fruit juices and purees, sauces and mixes, and frozen, processed and canned sea food and preserved fish products like sardines, anchovies, mackerel and tuna, among others, thus reinforcing the country's image as a reliable source of 100-percent quality food and ingredients. 8 billion worth of tropical fruits. EU supplies a single frontier for all the food imports of its 27 member-states - Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, The Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and the UK. As of April 2012, the country's total food export was already $2. Food Exporters Target EU Market Trade News selected by Local Linkup on 10/06/2012