The Pilipino Banana Growers and Exporters Association is set to send delegations to markets that still impose restrictions on Philippine banana exports.
PBGEA officials are set to personally explore the banana markets of South Korea and Australia and negotiate with counterparts on how better to proceed with a request to allow the entry of Philippine bananas into these markets.
Former PBGEA president Steve Antig will lead a group of banana growers to South Korea to convince their counterparts and the South Korean government to ease tariff and non-tariff restrictions on Philippine bananas.
Antig’s group aims to convince the South Korean government to agree on a bilateral agreement with the Philippines to lower the tax from 30 to zero percent.
Other PBGEA executives led by Benny Corcolon are scheduled to go to Canberra on November tomorrow to meet with government officials there and raise the possibility of allowing Philippine banana exports during the lean months so as not to compete with Australian banana growers.