ENG Seng Food Products, a homegrown pasalubong shop in Davao City, is among the 18 Filipino enterprises that showcased their products during the SIAL Food Expo in China which was held from May 17 to 19, 2017.
The company, which is located at Quirino Avenue, Davao City, showcased their yema, piñato, dried durian chips, and dried-freeze durian, among others, during the expo.
The Department of Agriculture (DA), together with the office of the Philippine Consulate General in Shanghai and the Department of Trade and Industry’s (DTI) Philippine Trade and Investment Center (PTIC), led the participation of the Filipino businesses to the expo with the objective of intensifying market linkages both in the domestic and international markets.
In a statement, Agriculture Undersecretary Bernadette Puyat said they see China as a huge market for the Philippines’ agricultural exports. The participation to similar expos in China is the department’s way of tapping the market which may come with promising profits in the future.
“We’ve always looked at China as a profitable yet largely untapped market for our agricultural exports. We have to take advantage of our competitive edge over other suppliers in terms of product quality and lower logistical cost due to our proximity. Our farmers and producers of these fruits from Mindanao and other parts of the country are faced with that opportunity,” Puyat said.
The company has their products displayed at the local Pasalubong Center in Palma Gil St. and in supermarkets in Davao City and even in neighboring cities. Their products are also available during food bazaars and local food expos.
Aside from the durian-flavored yema and chips that they are known for, they are also offering pastillas, banana chips, polvoron, ice cream, and chicharon, among others.
The SIAL Food Expo in China is the biggest food innovation exhibition in China showcasing the different food products of 3,000 exhibitors from 67 countries. An 84-square meter land area was allotted for the Philippine pavilion where the Filipino food products were displayed. The said exhibit was organized by the same people behind Salon International de l’Alimentation (SIAL) Paris.
Included in the enterprises who had their products displayed were Herbio Agrinature of Pagadian City (mangosteen juice and nectar), Limenero Fruit Drinks from Cagayan de Oro City (calamansi juice and concentrate), Spyte Global Enterprise from Misamis Oriental (coco sap sugar), Nature’s Fresh Pineapple Inc. from Bukidnon (fresh pineapple, corn seeds), See’s International (banana chips), Southern Philippines Fresh Fruits Corp. (fresh mangoes), RM Fresh Fruits of South Cotabato (fresh papaya), and Gabriel Fruit Production and Processing of North Cotabato (fresh mangoes) among others.
All of the products displayed at the expo were Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point-certified.
Simultaneous to the three-day expo, there was also a tour of several supermarkets and distribution chains around Shanghai to check on the latest trends and current market demands of China, aside from business meetings with the exhibitors and distributors organized by DA.