PH Products Rake in $102M in Largest Food Trade Show in the Middle East

Philippine food products featured in the recently concluded Gulfood held at the Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC) last 16-20 February 2020 were well-received by trade buyers and visitors alike as the Philippine delegation promoted the country’s top-performing food exports.

Headed by Undersecretary Abdulgani Macatoman of the Department of Trade and Industry’s Trade Promotions Group (DTI-TPG), the delegation with 24 exporters from the Philippines’ food sector booked a total of $102 million dollars in reported export sales at the event, which surpassed this year’s target of $93 million.

“The positive reception and performance of Filipino food products in Gulfood reaffirms the demand and market opportunities for Philippine food exports in the Middle East and North African region,” Macatoman said. “This outcome is a signifier and an invitation for local food companies to strengthen their export capabilities to better capture this promising market segment and further promote Philippine products globally.”

The participating companies carried with them a variety of fresh, processed and pre-packaged food products to showcase for the Middle East and North African (MENA) markets. Bestsellers from the Philippine exhibitors include food preserves, fresh and processed bananas, mixes and sauces, condiments and frozen shrimp. On-site demos and samplings were also conducted at the FoodPhilippines pavilion to supplement the promotion of these products during the show.

Visitors at the show particularly noted the superior quality of the seafood and newly introduced frozen meats on display at the Philippine Pavilion. Banana chips were also among the more in-demand products with foreign buyers looking for larger quantity packaging of the local snack food.

The Philippine participation in the 25th edition of Gulfood was organized by the Department of Trade and Industry, through the Center for International Trade Expositions and Missions (DTI-CITEM) and in partnership with the Philippine Trade and Investment Center (PTIC) Dubai.

Visit www.citem.com.ph/gulfood for more information on FoodPhilippines and the Philippine participation in Gulfood.