Dole Philippines (Dolefil) has embarked on an ambitious expansion scheme since it came under control of Japan’s Itochu Corporation, with plans to double its plantations in the next five years, website Sunstar.com.ph reported.
Dolefil corporate affairs division director Melquiades L. Hernandez III told the Davao Business Forum the company had the opportunity to expand its presence on the continent, and that from a production perspective the company was already looking at prospects in the areas of Sultan Kudarat, Davao del Sur, South Cotabato, and North Cotabato.
Hernandez told the forum the companies aimed to expand its plantations with the help of plantation development groups, who will reach out directly to farmers and ask them to join Dolefil.
“Itochu has a food business and they found the opportunity to expand in Asia with the acquisition of the two main businesses of Dole,” Hernandez was quoted as saying.
“They are much more aggressive now in their expansion because of the opportunity they have right now.”
The story reported Dolefil currently had 16,571 of base plantations and private growers in Region 12, which is a southern subdivision of the Philippine island of Mindanao.
The story reported the company produced around 25 million cases of processed pineapples and shipped around 13 million boxes of fresh pineapples per year.
Source: Fresh Fruit Portal