The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) has shared in a news release that Hass avocados from the Philippines are now in South Korea, marking an increase in trade between the two nations.
The introduction of these fresh Philippine avocados took place during a launch event at the Homeplus, Gangseo branch on October 19.
Philippine Ambassador to Korea, Maria Theresa Dizon-De Vega, hailed this as a symbol of the robust trade ties between the Philippines and Korea, especially in the realm of agricultural exports.
Homeplus, a significant retail hypermarket chain with approximately 140 branches across South Korea, played host to this significant occasion. The event was organized by Dole Korea, under the leadership of CEO Jack Kim, in collaboration with Maria Alilia Maghirang, Agriculture Attaché at the Philippine Agriculture Office in Seoul.
The first shipment of fresh Hass avocados to South Korea, valued at USD 48,433, set sail from Davao City on September 30.
The path to this exciting development started in 2009 when the Philippines expressed its intention to export fresh Hass avocados to Korea, responding to a request from Dole Philippines.
After discussions, South Korea’s Department of Animal and Plant Quarantine Agency (APQA) and the Philippines’ Department of Agriculture-Bureau of Plant Industry (DA-BPI) reached an agreement on June 19, 2023, which became official on September 8, 2023.
The DFA anticipates that South Korean consumers can expect more shipments of Philippine Hass avocados in the future. This development underscores the active bilateral relations between the two countries, particularly in trade and agricultural development.
These fresh Hass avocados from the Philippines come from the orchards and packing houses of Dole Philippines in Davao, Bukidnon, and South Cotabato.
