Philippine demand for Belgian fries rose 300% in 10 years

In the first half of 2019, Belgian potato suppliers shipped 50,000 tons of frozen potatoes, fries, and other potato related products to Southeast Asia. The export to the Philippines, in particular, is growing at an unprecedented pace—by nearly 300% over the last 10 years. Expansion in the Philippines  The ASEAN region became a large target market for Belgian potatoes over the last decade, with Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam, and the Philippines proving to be growing markets for potato products from Belgium.In 2018, the Belgian suppliers exported 30,468 tons of fries to the Philippines—a 300% increase from its 8,949 tons export in 2010.  Meanwhile in the first half of 2019, Belgian suppliers saw more than 18,703 tons of fries imported to the country.The five largest Belgian suppliers are Agristo, Bart’s Potato Company, Clarebout Potatoes, Ecofrost and Mydibel. These family-owned businesses ship potato products all over the world. Back to Basic ChallengeTo promote Belgian fries in the region, Original Belgian Fries, the organization of Belgian frozen potato products suppliers, supported the five-day Back to Basic Challenge at Thaifex 2019 in Thailand. Every participant had to prepare two toppings and two dips to combine with tasty, Belgian-style fries. After scoring 90.00, Korean chef Hong Seongyun took home the gold medal as he bested over 1,300 chefs around the globe.Apart from the Back to Basic Challenge 2019 in Thailand, the Belgian suppliers will showcase their finest potatoes produce straight from the heart of Europe at the booth number BE 009 of SIAL Interfood 2019 in Jakarta, Indonesia, from November 13 to 16, 2019.