MARAWI
CITY, Lanao del Sur, June 1 (PIA) -- Various products from the
Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) were showcased during the
2015 International Food Exhibition (IFEX) held from May 21 to 24 at the
SMX Convention Center in Manila.
The Royal Coffee and Coco
Sugar both from Sulu, Mt. Kalatungan banana, pineapple from Maguindanao
and Lanao del Sur, and the “Hot moro, Hot chili” of Tawi-Tawi were among
the almost 700 exporters from different countries that shared the
limelight during the event.
Dr. Susana Anayatin, chief of
technical management services of the Department of Trade and Industry in
ARMM said the region’s entry in the IFEX was a big step for both the
products and the region.
The agency is offering technical assistance on product development to further assist the exhibitors.
Anayatin said they are helping ARMM exhibitors in terms of packaging, labelling, promotion, and marketing.
“We
are also facilitating the accreditation of the products at the Bureau
of Food and Drugs so that producers will have an easy access to both
national and international markets,” she added.
Hadji Faisal
Malande, general manager of the company that produces “Hot moro, Hot
chilli,” said they were overjoyed for the display of their product in
the IFEX.
He further said it is a significant achievement
for a small community in Simunul, Tawi-Tawi to join an international
food exhibition.
“We are looking forward for our industry to expand because many farmers will also benefit with our success,” he said.
Malande
said the company is now working on putting its product on the shelves
of supermarkets and other retail outlets nationwide.
Two companies from Manila and Pagadian City (Zamboanga del Sur) have already agreed to distribute the brand, he said.
IFEX
is a parallel activity of the upcoming Asia-Pacific Economic
Cooperation (APEC) meeting, which will be hosted by the government of
the Philippines this year.
The food exhibition aims at promoting
Philippine export products to the world through various tools such as
trade exhibits, selling missions and international trade fairs.
The event attracted participants from different regions worldwide, such as Asia-Pacific, Middle-East, North America and Europe.
This year, IFEX was focused on fresh, semi-processed food and allied industries. (Bureau of Public Information/APB/PIA-10)
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