Dole, the global leader in fresh fruits and vegetables production, mulls further expansion of their business in the Philippines through R&D and product innovation.

This was revealed in a social media post by the Bureau of International Relations, which shared the meeting of Trade and Industry Undersecretary Ceferino S. Rodolfo with Aashim Malhotra, vice president and managing director, Asia-Pacific Region of Dole Packaged Foods, LLC., on Jan. 17, 2023.

During the meeting Dole shared future prospects for expanding their business in the country through R&D and product innovation, the DTI said.

According to the DTI, the Dole official further emphasized the importance of the Philippines as their major agricultural hub. Their largest plantation of pineapples, bananas, and avocados and production facility for fruit juices is located in Polomolok, South Cotabato in Mindanao.

The Philippines also supplies all fruit juices exported by Dole to the US, which is their largest market. Other countries in North America are also their export markets.

Dole has an estimated 40,000 direct and indirect employees from its Philippine operation, particularly for bananas and pineapples for export to other countries.

Data published by Statista Research Department showed that in 2021, the total volume of pineapple exported from the Philippines amounted to around 546.11 thousand metric tons, reflecting a decrease from the previous year. In that year, the export value of pineapples amounted to P14.28 billion.