Itochu Corp., one of the Japan’s largest trading companies, has expressed interest to increase its pineapple production in the Philippines through its subsidiary Dole Philippines.
Trade and Industry Secretary Fred Pascual reported that the Itochu Corporation wrote a Letter of Intent to DTI, stating its plan to increase pineapple production in the Philippines. This came after the bilateral meeting with the company at the sidelines of the ASEAN-Japan Business Week 2023 on Monday, 5 June 2023 in Tokyo, Japan.
DTI Secretary Alfredo E. Pascual (seated second from left) meet with ITOCHU officials on June 5, 2023 in Tokyo, Japan. ITOCHU officials present were Mr. Hiroyuki Kaizuka, Managing Executive Officer, ITOCHU Corporation/President & CEO. The Secretary was joined by Assistant Secretary Allan B. Gepty and Commercial Counselor Ma. Bernardita Angara-Mathay.
Once the planned expansion pushes through, the Philippines will remain to be DOLE’s core production based in their business. DOLE operates pineapple plantation and industrial facility in
DTI Secretary Alfredo E. Pascual (seated second from left) meet with ITOCHU officials on June 5, 2023 in Tokyo, Japan. ITOCHU officials present were Mr. Hiroyuki Kaizuka, Managing Executive Officer, ITOCHU Corporation/President & CEO. The Secretary was joined by Assistant Secretary Allan B. Gepty and Commercial Counselor Ma. Bernardita Angara-Mathay.
Once the planned expansion pushes through, the Philippines will remain to be DOLE’s core production based in their business. DOLE operates pineapple plantation and industrial facility in Polomolok, South Cotabato
, in the Philippines. Itochu is one of the largest Japanese trading companies involved in textile, food, energy, chemicals, among many others. Itochu Manila branch was established in 1956. Currently, the company has four subsidiary companies in the Philippines, such as, Makati Sky Plaza Inc.; ISLA Petroleum & Gas Corp; DOLE Philippines; and ACOM Consumer Finance Corp. While in Japan, Pascual also met with the Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia (ERIA) President Professor Hidetoshi Nishimura, who presented their proposed research and capacity building activities this year in the areas of digital integration, services, and trade facilitation, among others, as well as the Digital Innovation and Sustainable Economy Center to be launched by this year. Pascual expressed that the Philippines is keen to collaborate with ERIA’s experts in ongoing initiatives where the region will benefit, such as for the ASEAN Digital Economy Framework Agreement, the ASEAN Post-2025 Vision, and the establishment of a regional initiative on Carbon Neutrality. ERIA is an international organization that was established by an agreement of the Leaders of the 16 East Asia Summit (EAS) member countries. Its main role is to conduct research and policy analyses to facilitate the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) and to support wider regional community building. The meeting was also joined by Dr. Kao Kim Hourn, Secretary-General of ASEAN, Arsjad Rasjid, Chairman of Kadin Indonesia/ASEAN-BAC 2023, Hirohide Hirai, vice minister of Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry.