Philippines eyes Uzbekistan tropical fruits market
The Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI) is intensifying efforts to expand the Philippines’ presence in global agricultural trade by opening additional export markets.
BPI Director Gerald Glenn Panganiban said the agency is finalizing arrangements with Uzbekistan to supply tropical fruits that are not available in the Central Asian nation, such as bananas and mangoes.
“We shook our hands. We are finalizing the protocol and we can finally export to them. It’s like a gentleman’s agreement that everything is okay. Only paperwork is left,” Panganiban said in an interview.
Panganiban said Uzbekistan is exploring the possibility of exporting cherries to the Philippines, although he flagged delays in sealing the trade pact due to logistics issues.
“Right now, it seems that the only problem is logistics. Everything has increased so maybe there was a slight delay. But it’s a good opportunity (for the country),” Panganiban said.
At the same time, BPI is working on expanding durian exports to Australia, New Zealand and Middle East countries.
“Aside from expanding our market access to other countries, what we are doing is to add value (to our agricultural exports). For example, the current drive is to supply frozen durian because it’s easier to market,” Panganiban said.
“When it (export product) is a value-added product like a frozen product, the regulations on pest and disease are less strict. If it’s a frozen product, we only need to comply with food safety standards,” he added.
Panganiban also said there is an “aggressive push” to gain access to nontraditional export markets for durian.
“We do have interests from other countries. We have been exporting, for example, to Korea. Now, we’re pushing for Australia and New Zealand, although, of course, they haven’t fully accepted,” he told reporters.
