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Manila Bulletin devider Business devider Trade & Industry devider IFEX 2024 export sales hit $165 M

IFEX 2024 export sales hit $165 M

Published May 23, 2024 07:25 am

This year's rollout of the International Food Expo (IFEX) Philippines, the Center for International Trade Expositions and Missions' (CITEM) flagship food expo, yielded an initial $165 million in total export sales.

This is a 1.23 percent improvement from the $163.29 million gained in the 2023 expo, as per CITEM in a press statement on May 23.

The three-day event from May 10 to 12 at the World Trade Center in Pasay City also drew almost 10,000 visitors ranging from local and foreign government officials to local and overseas buyers.

The expo showcased 500 exhibitors, including micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs), manufacturers, producers, and distributors, each highlighting products exemplifying the traditional Filipino feasts or "salu-salo."

During the expo, CITEM Officer-In-Charge and Deputy Executive Director Ma. Lourdes Mediran emphasized that the country has a "rich tapestry of flavors that remain unknown to certain parts of the world.”

Through the homely quality of Filipino food, Mediran hoped to capture further export opportunities for domestic retailers in the expo.

Senator Mark Villar, who serves as the chairperson of the Senate Committee on Trade, Commerce, and Entrepreneurship; and Committee on Banks, Financial Institutions, and Currencies, also expressed his support for more food expositions like IFEX. 

Some notable showcases at the expo were the Philippine Halal Pavillion, which generated P25 million actual and under negotiation sales; and the Department of Agriculture (DA)'s Premium 7, focusing on top Filipino export crops comprising banana, cacao, coconut, coffee, mango, pineapple, and tuna.

Other attractions include a photo gallery capturing 15 years of heritage food research from Philippine Food Holidays author and Philippine Gastronomy Tourism scholar Clang Garcia. 

 
 

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