Philippine mango to play big part at Gulfood Show
Taking center stage is the Philippine mango, also known as Carabao mango. Over the decades, researchers have developed different varieties of this sweet fruit to continuously improve the export quality.
Joining this year’s edition of Gulfood, the Philippine Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), through its export promotion arm, the Center for International Trade Expositions and Missions (CITEM), and branding initiative FoodPhilippines, plans to explore ways to widen its market base through the fast-growing halal food industry.
At the same time, the Philippine contingent, composed of 26 food exporters, including 10 new participants, will further tap into the region’s food retail industry to check which other Philippine food products can be exported to the UAE for its growing Filipino community and non-Filipino customers.
“More supermarkets and grocery store owners are selling Philippine food products due to their recognition of its premium quality and their growing familiarity with the Philippine food culture brought about by our countrymen abroad” said Rosvi Gaetos, CITEM executive director.
Included among the retail outlets selling Philippine food are Al Maya Supermarket, Lulu Supermarket, Carrefour and ZOOM Convenience Stores in Dubai, UAE.
As of 2015, there were over 2.5 million Filipinos living in the Gulf region, based on data from the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA). During the same year, around US$200 million worth of Philippine food products have been exported to the GCC, of which 50 percent goes to the UAE.
source: filipinotimes.ae
