Monday, November 12, 2007 Exports of RP fruits to New Zealand increase
THE Philippines fruits particularly bananas, pineapples and avocados boost the country's agro-based products exports to New Zealand generating US$2.5 million for the first half of the year, Agriculture Secretary Arthur Yap said in a report to President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.
Yap said New Zealand Ambassador David Pine himself acknowledged that the increase was due to a "rise in the value of bananas and plaintains (and) significant increases in the sales of dates, figs, pineapples and avocados."
He said data from the National Statistics Office (NSO) also showed exports of fresh bananas to New Zealand "rose by almost two-folds to US$986,480 in June compared to the same period last year" while exports of fresh pineapples also grew by 189.27 percent from US$48,415 in June 2006 to US$140,049 in June 2007.
He expects a growth in the exports of agri-based products to continue after nine New Zealand-based importers and distributors have pledged to buy over US$30 million worth of fresh and processed agro-fishery exports from the Philippines during a product exhibit and selling mission conducted by the Department of Agriculture (DA) on the sidelines of the President's state visit last there last May.
Yap said the New Zealand buyers will import Philippine products such as mangoes, bananas, pineapples, dried mangoes, banana chips, desiccated coconut, canned sardines, ready-mix sauces, dried anchovies and squids, pili nuts, biscuits, juice in tetra packs, spices (chili and tamarind), fresh coconut and fresh coco juice.
He said the buyers include Fusion Marketing Ltd., Ashon Ventures (NZ) Ltd., Tres Marias Trading Ltd., Panamex Pacific Exporters and James Crisp Ltd., a known importer and distributor of food ingredients and brand developer for food products in the New Zealand and Australian markets.
He said these companies made the commitment during a product exhibit and business-matching session at the Stamford Plaza Hotel in Auckland, New Zealand, last May 29. (JMR/Sunnex)
