LOCAL food exporters will seek to gain a strong foothold in the $12-billion Middle East market by strutting their wares in the region’s biggest food expo, the 13th Gulfood, Hotel and Equipment Exhibition and Salon Culinaire Dubai.

Nine Filipino firms have confirmed their participation in the event to be held from February 24 to 27 at the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Center, the UAE.

Gulfood is considered the largest and most important food event in the Middle East and is also a strategic platform for companies targeting the region.

Fortress Food Manufacturing Corp., Fruitphil International Trading Corp., Martsons Food Corp., Mega Fishing Corp., Oceanic Exports (Manila) Inc. Philippine Grocers Food Exports Inc., Primex Coco Products Inc., Profood International Corp. and Superstar Coconut Products Co. Inc. comprise the Philippine delegation to the trade fair.

The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), through the Center for International Trade Expositions and Missions, is backing the participation of the said companies to the Gulfood.

It is part of the government’s efforts to sustain the aggressive promotion of Philippine food in the Middle East, and also to promote International Food Exhibition 2008, “Asia’s Food Paradise,” the premier trade fair for the global food sector that will be held from May 16 to 18 at the SMX Convention Center, Mall of Asia, Pasay City.

The DTI said the Gulfood is also a good opportunity for local food exporters to touch base with the half a million-strong overseas Filipino workers in the region.

“Ibelieve our dried mango, mango purée and ready-to-drink juices will be hot items in Gulfood,” Profood International Corp. president Justin Uy said. “We’ve already successfully exported these to close to 40 countries worldwide, and the reception has been very good.”

“We want to participate to expand our market to the Middle East; we expect to get more clients and more sales there,” he added.

Gulfood 2007, held from February 19 to 22 last year, gathered almost 2,500 companies from over 70 countries and more than 37,000 buyers and guests from 140 countries.

The Philippines has over 3,000 food and beverage establishments, employing a work force of about 188,000.

The Philippines, which registered total export sales of processed foods amounting to $923 million in 2006, is a competitive exporter of fresh foods and marine products.

The country’s top food exports are processed fruits (dried fruits, jams, preserved fruits, juices, purées and concentrates), nuts and coconut products, dairy products, sugar and sugar preparations, and cereal and flour preparations.

THE Department of Agriculture (DA) said local officials have given their full backing to its programs to attain food security and sustain the growth momentum of the farm and fisheries sector.

LOCAL food exporters will seek to gain a strong foothold in the $12-billion Middle East market by strutting their wares in the region’s biggest food expo, the 13th Gulfood, Hotel and Equipment Exhibition and Salon Culinaire Dubai.

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FORMULATING a cheaper-medicines law is not the solution to high medicine prices but cutting medicine taxes and value-added tax (VAT), as well as encouraging greater competition among pharmaceutical companies through a healthy business environment.

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