The Philippines' Department of Agriculture (DA) said the country's agricultural products generated $17.5 million in sales leads at Asia Fruit Logistica (AFL) 2026, a fresh produce trade fair held in Hong Kong on Sept. 2-4. The figure covers prospective business identified during the exhibition rather than concluded contracts.

The Philippines returned to the event after an absence of nearly a decade, and the DA said Philippine produce generated interest among attendees during the three-day exhibition. AFL is among Asia's leading trade fairs for the international fresh fruit and vegetable sector, bringing together growers, exporters, importers, and retailers.

According to the DA, participation in exhibitions such as AFL forms part of a broader push that it eventually hopes will narrow the Philippines' $11-billion trade deficit in farm products. The sales leads logged in Hong Kong amount to a fraction of that deficit, a gauge of how much ground the export drive still has to cover.

"The event provided exporters a platform to turn product quality, commercial relationships, and market intelligence into tangible business opportunities," the DA said in a statement.

Agriculture Secretary Francisco P. Tiu Laurel, Jr. led the Philippine delegation, joined by Philip C. Young, undersecretary for high-value export crops and agri-fishery export development and promotion.

"Our goal is not simply to sell more Philippine produce, but to build lasting partnerships, meet the exacting standards of international buyers, and ensure that the benefits of export growth reach the people who grow our food," Mr. Laurel was quoted as saying in the statement.

The DA did not say how quickly the sales leads are expected to translate into signed contracts or export shipments.

Source: BusinessWorld Online, reporting by Maria Mikaela H. Tormon