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| Philippine Pavilion’s Big Three: Pixcel Transglobal, Inc. secures the spot as the top-selling company with a total export sales of US$61M. Rallying behind it is SL Agritech Corporation, generating a total of US$46M, while Lionheart Farms.Inc. fared in third, yielding US$12M in total export sales. (Image Source: Orange Magazine TV/Department of Trade and Industry - Center for International Trade Expositions and Missions) |
FOODPhilippines, the country’s collective food promotions program, capped its Gulfood participation yielding US$133M in export sales, which is double the total sales it generated from its previous participation last year. The amount is a combination of booked orders and sales under negotiation following the 5-day food expo which ran last February 19-23, 2024 at the Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC) in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE).
Known as the biggest gathering of leading food and beverage (F&B) brands from more than 190 countries, Gulfood provides a business platform to buyers, exhibitors, and notable personalities in the food and hospitality industries. The annual trade show for food sets the stage where the latest tastes, trends, and innovations are unveiled. This year, a delegation of 25 Philippine companies engaged in F&B brought to the fore local food products focused on health and wellness. Among the top-selling companies are Pixcel Transglobal Inc., SL Agritech Corporation and Lionheart Farms Inc. Consequently, the top food products in terms of the dollar value of export leads were fruit preserves, cavendish bananas, fermented marine products, and amino sap beverages.
Center for International Trade Expositions and Missions (CITEM) Executive Director Edward Fereira underscored the crucial role that Gulfood has been playing in the global food scene saying that “the annual food expo has become an entry point for businesses across the world to penetrate the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) Region". The Philippine Pavilion opened its doors to visitors and foreign trade buyers through a ribbon-cutting ceremony led by Fereira and Philippine Ambassador to the UAE, Hon. Alfonso Ferdinand Ver, along with other key government officials. The ceremony was followed by a series of matchmaking services and business-to-business meetings between Philippine exporters and foreign trade buyers.
This year’s participation is led by CITEM, an attached agency of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), in close collaboration with the Department of Trade and Industry – Export Marketing Bureau (DTI-EMB) and Philippine Trade and Investment Center in Dubai (PTIC-Dubai). CITEM is also set to hold IFEX Philippines, the country’s biggest international trade show for food and ingredients, on May 10-12, 2024 at the World Trade Center Metro Manila in Pasay City. To learn more about the Philippine exhibitors, visit their digital storefronts on IFEXConnect.com. Read stories on the Philippines’ rich food culture and culinary landscape on foodphilippines.com.
