MANILA, Philippines — Negros province is eyeing a slice of the US$9-billion global market for Arabica coffee as it joins the Philippine delegation for the first time in the upcoming 37th International Food and Beverage Exhibition or FOODEX Japan 2012 slated on March 6-9 at Makuhari Messe in Chiba, Japan.
Led by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) through the Center for International Trade Expositions and Missions (CITEM), the Philippine presence in the fair affirms the country's long-term strategy to further deepen ties with Japan, historically one of the Philippines' strongest trade partners.
"Targeting Japan's emerging organic market is part of our aggressive exploration of new niché areas for our food products, even as we also aim to improve the competitiveness of our manufacturers by exposing them to international benchmarks," said Rosvi C. Gaetos, Executive Director of CITEM.
Representing Negros Island's participation is the Negros Island Sustainable Agriculture & Rural Development Foundation, Inc. (NISARD) under the leadership of Negros Occidental Governor Alfredo Maranon, Jr. NISARD's Arabica Coffee Expansion Program envisions to grow one million organic Arabica trees by 2013, in order to position the island as a major supplier of organic Arabica coffee in Asia.
The program establishes organic Arabica coffee nurseries in various assisted community organizations in Mt. Kanla-on Natural Park (MKNP) and in the Northern Negros Forest Reserve (NNFR) to protect the remaining forest cover in these areas. It also provides additional income to the coffee farmers and equips them to serve the needs of the local market and eventually export in the future.
"While Negros Island currently has more available Robusta coffee trees than Arabica, our goal is to capitalize on the internationally preferred Arabica variety and have a sustainable supply within three to four years," said Rommel T. Ledesma, General Manager of NISARD.
"FOODEX Japan is an excellent opportunity to generate buzz on our goal to becoming Asia's organic food bowl and to generate more awareness on the advantages of healthy, naturally grown food. Japan is the world's third largest importer of coffee and as a market has great potential for organic agro-based products. We look forward to building partnerships with Japanese investors to help us further these goals," he said.
Aside from organic coffee, Negros Island will highlight its other organic products including muscovado sugar, unpolished rice, herbal products, and essential oils.
source: mb.com.ph
