DTI to showcase W. Visayas products in Europe trade fair

ILOILO CITY – The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) here, in a bid to push the products of Western Visayas, will join more trade fairs in Europe to boost their export capabilities.

“We can bring your regional products to SIAL in France next year,” said DTI Assistant Secretary Demphna Du-Naga.

While at the 2019 Panublion Heritage Fair in this city, Du-Naga expressed optimism that Western Visayas products can attract attention at SIAL (Salon International de l’alimentation), the biennial food product expo which will be held in Paris on October 18-22, 2020.

DTI Regional Director for Western Visayas Rebecca Rascon noted that priority products include virgin coconut oil, turmeric tea, turmeric-based drinks, and ginger tea.

Rascon told the Manila Bulletin that DTI-6 is also pushing for the development of other food products including a variance of cashew nuts and mixed dried fruits and nuts, which are bestsellers in the European market.

Rascon added that there’s also a potential for banana chips and corn-based snacks which were a bit hit at the Anuga Food Fair in Germany this year.

But products from Aklan, Antique, Capiz, Guimaras, Iloilo, and Negros Occidental still need improvement, especially in their design and packaging.

The DTI is already addressing these challenges as part of product development.

“As products improve, we also want to update the market access. We want to link our entrepreneurs to their target markets,” added Du-Naga.