Eight companies that participated in Europe’s biggest trade show for natural products, health food and organic industries recorded sales of P160.87 million, according to the Department of Agriculture (DA).
Of the sales generated at the Natural and Organic Products Europe (NOPE) 2017, the DA said coconut products accounted for $3.2 million, or around P155 million.
“These included virgin coconut oil, coconut milk, coconut syrup, coconut jam, coconut sugar and coco vinegar,” the DA said in a statement.
Other organic products sold during the two-day NOPE 2017 were guyabano tea, calamansi soap, malunggay tea, food supplements/vitamins and ointment. Sales of noncoconut products amounted to roughly P4.8 million.
The eight small and medium enterprises assisted by the DA were Lao Integrated Farms Inc. and Healthy Sweets Mindanao Corp., Tropicana Food Products Inc., Cocoplus Aquarian Development Corp., Joyful Garden Farm/ Organic Farmers Association Inc., Akita Herbal Products, Giga Natural Products Corp. and Business People Inc.
Products promoted and showcased were coconut-based sugar, flour, desiccated coconut, amino sauce, syrup, sap vinegar, chips, balls, milk powder, spread, virgin coconut oil, water, fruit-based candies, peanut butter, turmeric ice cream, tea, muscovado sugar, fancy and organic rice, and personal and wellness products.
“Promotional events, such as NOPE, always provide Filipino agribusiness firms with an opportunity to introduce and innovate on their existing products to capture the market, and to build linkages with their prospective buyers,”
the DA said.
The DA said the firms’ participation in NOPE 2017, which was held last month, is part of the government’s efforts to expand exports of organic and naturally grown products.
According to the DA, the UK is a thriving market for organic products. In 2016 UK’s organic market reached a little over £2 billion, an increase of 7.1 percent in total sales of organic products from the previous year, based on Soil Association’s latest report.
Industry insiders said the increase in sales indicates that organic products, both fresh and processed, are now a core part of UK’s mainstream market, thanks to the growing popularity of organic produce as safe and healthy food.
Beyond organic, the DA said the UK is also a huge market for premium agricultural and marine produce, such as coconut, banana, mango and tuna, as well as processed ones, such as condiments and snacks, which the Philippines could supply.