Ambassador Noralyn Jubaira Baja (2nd from right) with Fruit South Africa CEO Fhumulani Ratshitanga, Specialist Consultant for Market Development Dr. Mono Mashaba (leftmost) and First Secretary Maurice Tiempo (rightmost)
In line with its vigorous efforts to look at ways on how to increase the two-way trade between the Philippines and South Africa, Philippine Ambassador Noralyn Jubaira Baja met with officials of Fruit South Africa (FSA) on 14 September 2022.
The organization was represented by its Chief Executive Officer, Ms. Fhumulani Ratshitanga, and Specialist Consultant for Market Development, Dr. Mono Mashaba.
During the meeting, FSA updated the Embassy on South Africa’s efforts to gain market access in the Philippines for its fresh fruits. A milestone was reached when South Africa has begun exporting citrus to the Philippines in June 2021. Negotiations for the market access for South African table grapes, apples and pears are ongoing.
FSA underscored that the South African fruit sector considers the Philippines as a priority market. As such, FSA undertook annual visits to Manila for the past 6 years until 2019 and paid courtesy visits to the Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI). With the support of the South African Embassy in Manila, it attended the Agri-Link Trade Show hosted by the Department of Agriculture from 2017 to 2019, during which it met with potential importers and a number of retail companies. FSA will visit Manila in October 2022 to attend the Agri-Link Trade Show organized by the Department of Agriculture.
Both sides also discussed the possibility of the Philippines exporting tropical fruits to South Africa.
With both countries recognizing the importance of agricultural trade and food security, the Embassy and FSA agreed to cooperate and collaborate on matters of mutual interest.
As an umbrella body for the South African fruit industry, FSA serves as the sector’s collective platform in engaging with government, other public institutions and strategic stakeholders on policy, legislation and other important matters.
