The Philippines has exceeded its sales target at a German food fair to more than $36 million on strong appetite for coconut products and sweeteners

The Philippines has exceeded its sales target at a German food fair to more than $36 million on strong appetite for coconut products and sweeteners.

The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) has disclosed that the Philippine delegation to Biofach generated a total of $36.37 million in sales, tripling the agency’s goal of $10.35 million. The country banked on its coconut and sugar products to boost its performance in the world’s leading platform for organic food items.

Pauline Suaco-Juan, executive director of the DTI’s Center for International Trade Expositions and Missions, bared the best-selling products from the Philippines were refined, bleached and deodorized coconut oil, coconut cream, virgin coconut oil, coconut flour and muscovado.

Firms who formed part of the delegation were the AG Pacific Nutriceuticals Corp.; Brandexports Philippines Inc.; Cardinal Agri Products Inc.; Filipinas Organic Coconut Products Corp.; and Lao Integrated Farms Inc. The Philippines was also represented by See’s International; Raw Brown Sugar Milling Co. Inc.; and Tongsan Industrial Development Corp.

The DTI will build on the country’s showing in Biofach in its efforts to promote food exports in overseas trade fairs, Suaco-Juan said.

“Our participation in Biofach has been an all-out success. This signals a strong beginning for our export promotion activities in the food sector this 2020, and we are aiming to sustain this momentum in our strategic overseas trade fair participation in other key markets around the world,” Suaco-Juan vowed in a news statement.

After Biofach, the DTI is scheduled to showcase the country’s food products in the Food and Hotel Asia in Singapore, China-Asean Expo and China International Import Expo in China, and Sial Paris in France.

Biofach is considered as the world’s leading food fair for organic products. It set a new record this year on number of exhibitors, display area and international focus.

According to its web site, the annual trade show gathered a total of 3,792 exhibitors from 110 countries, in a display area expanding 57,609 square meters during its run from February 12 to 15, at the Exhibition Centre Nuremberg in Germany.

With Biofach occupying two halls more than last year, over 47,000 visitors from 136 economies went to the food fair not only to buy products, but to learn, as well, about developments, trends and innovations. Making up the top 5 countries by visitor attendance were Germany, Austria, Italy, France and the Netherlands.

The next edition of Biofach is slated on February 17 to 20 in 2021.

The DTI is figuring out ways on how to expand markets for exporters at a time that global trade is facing uncertainties brought about by the coronavirus outbreak and the United States-China trade conflict. It is, for one, enlisting the Philippines in trade fairs overseas, sending delegations tasked to promote the country’s export items.