PH pushes agri exports to E. Europe

Officials of the Department of Agriculture and private sector representatives are in Belarus this week for an export promotion mission that seeks to expand the country’s market for agricultural products in Eastern Europe.

Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel Piñol is leading the delegation that aims to secure agreements with trading firms in the region, with a focus on products such as coconut, mango, banana and fish.

In a Facebook post, the secretary said the team had already wrapped up three agreements since their arrival on Monday—the Philippines’ participation in the region’s biggest agricultural expo known as the Bel-Agro Festival in June; the entry of Belarus tractors into the country; and the initial shipment of mangos, canned pineapples and canned tuna; and the display of coconut products in Belarus’ leading supermarket chain, Euro-Opt.

Euro-Opt had also placed an initial order for mangoes, canned tuna, and bottled sardines to be shipped next month.

Piñol said the Philippines’ entry in the Bel-Agro Festival, where more than 100 countries are expected to join, is seen to further expand the country’s export market in Eastern Europe.

“This will be the biggest participation by the Philippines in an Eastern European agricultural expo since President Duterte started engaging with Russia and other countries of the former Soviet Union,” he said.

He added that the government of Belarus had already asked the DA a list of agricultural products that it would like to export to the country so it could be given sanitary permits prior to the Philippines’ participation in the expo.

“Among the products to be showcased in the Bel-Agro Festival to be held in Minsk are coconut, especially green young coconuts and coconut water, mango, banana, pineapple, canned tuna, bottled sardines, premium coffee and cacao,” said Piñol.