PHL fresh mangoes debut in Austrian market, sold out in 48hrs

April 26, 2013 7:57am

Philippine fresh mangoes can now add Austria to the growing number of markets they "conquered," the Department of Foreign Affairs said late Thursday.

The DFA cited an "overwhelming" response from the Austrian market, saying the fresh mangoes were sold out within 48 hours.

"Orders were received from as far as the western Austrian states of Tirol and Vorarlberg, and half of the shipment was delivered to buyers outside Vienna. The mangoes were promoted to hotels and restaurants in Vienna and Bratislava in neighboring Slovak Republic and samples were also given to AGROKOR-KONZUM, the largest importer and distributor of food products in Croatia, Slovenia, Bosnia, Serbia and Montenegro and the greater Balkan region," it said.

It added the direct entry of the fresh mangoes into the Austrian market is a landmark achievement since Philippine food products normally enter through big distribution monopolies in other European countries.

"This marketing structure makes it extremely difficult to sell food products from the Philippines in a landlocked country like Austria at competitive prices," it said.

Also promoting the mangoes were the Honorary Consuls in St. Pölten (Austria), Zagreb (Croatia) and Bratislava (Slovak Republic).

The DFA said the first order flown directly from the Philippines to Austria arrived on April 11, through the efforts of the Philippine Embassy in Vienna.

The Embassy worked with Austrian importer Maharlika Reisevermittlung GmbH, and the Department of Trade and Industry’s Bureau of Export Promotion.

Meanwhile, the DFA said Filipino communities in Vienna, Linz, Innsbruck and Bratislava, as well as Filipinos working in the United Nations Office in Vienna helped the Embassy and the importer in promoting the fresh mangoes to the greater Austrian market.

The DFA said the Austrian Federal Chamber of Commerce and Industry (“Wirtschaftskammer Österreich”) congratulated the Embassy and Maharlika Reisenvermittlung GmbH on the success of the project.

Meanwhile, Maharlika Reisenvermittlung GmbH is studying bringing other fresh fruits from the Philippines into the Austrian market.

The Philippine Embassy in Vienna is further planning to actively market processed mango products and by-products such as mango puree, mango jam, and preserved mangoes and facilitate their sale in more mainstream supermarkets and outlets. — LBG, GMA News