By Victoria “NIKE” De Dios
Coconut is abundant in the Philippines, and we are one of the top coconut oil exporters in the world penetrating practically all continents. The abundant and steady supply plus the quality of coconut that our country offers plays a big role in the growing demand for Philippine coconut. Apart from the reliable supplies, the innovative product developments done by the Filipinos play a big role in the demand.
In the recent Anuga Trade Fair held in Cologne, Germany, coconut exporters from the Philippines secured approximately US$ 10.78 Million in potential sales and US$ 200,000 in actual sales, after their successful participation in the Anuga Trade Fair held in Cologne, Germany earlier in October.
The Philippine government’s Department of Trade and Industry – Export Marketing Bureau (DTI-EMB) in collaboration with the International Trade Center (ITC) supported the companies during the Outbound Business Matching Mission (OBMM) and Promotion of Philippine Coconut Products under the EU-funded ARISE Plus Philippines project.
Anuga is the world’s largest and one of the most prestigious food and beverage exhibitions. This year, Anuga Germany attracted an astounding 140,000 trade visitors from 200 countries and featured 7,900 companies representing 118 countries.
The companies also engaged in 417 business-to-business (B2B) meetings; 10 market scoping activities at Anuga Trade Fair and attended four training sessions organized by the International Trade Centre, namely, ITC Arise+ Project Sales Negotiation Training; How to maximize your virtual and trade fair participation training; Getting prepared to exhibit at ANUGA training; and Training on EU agro-food market requirements and trends, key points to prepare for B2B interactions and good practices for successfully trade fair participation.Exporters from the Philippines also learnt about best marketing practices for coconut products during a market-sensing visit to Edeka Mohr, one of the largest supermarkets in Cologne.
The Philippine delegation included AG Pacific Nutriceuticals Corporation, Ahya Coco Organic Manufacturing Corporation, Amazing Foods Corporation, Cocoplus Aquarian Development Corporation, Dignity Products and Services, Inc., Greenlife Coconut Products Philippines Inc., Pasciolco Agri Ventures, Tongsan Industrial Development Corporation, Tropicana Food Products Inc., and Wellnesscare International Corporation.
One of the representatives from the Dignity Products and Services, Inc commented that “This is our first-time exhibiting products in Europe, and it has been an enriching experience. We not only learned about the requirements of European buyers but also got good contacts in Europe. We thank the organizers for giving us the opportunity to showcase our business abroad.”
The business matching mission advanced the Coconut Philippines flagship campaign, a strategic effort to establish the Philippines as a global leader in the export of coconut products. This initiative is closely aligned with the Philippine Export Development Plan 2023-2028 and the DTI’s priority Industry Clusters for 2023-2028, with a specific focus on bolstering food security and agriculture.
The participation in Anuga Trade Fair was organized through the ARISE Plus Philippines, a 4-year EU-funded project which aims at strengthening inclusive economic growth in the Philippines, through improved international trade performance and competitiveness as well as economic integration, in partnership with the DTI and other government agencies, as well as the private sector.