Makoto Sawanoi, president of Dole Fresh Produce Group. [Photo/CIIE Bureau]

Makoto Sawanoi, president of Dole Fresh Produce Group, has confirmed that he will attend the sixth China International Import Expo this November.

Sawanoi has a strong belief in the development of the CIIE. He said that the expo not only brings benefits to participating companies during the six-day exhibition but also has a business impact that stretches throughout the entire year.

Dole will increase its investment in the Chinese market and bring more high-quality fruits and vegetables to Chinese consumers, he added.

Dole is a member of the CIIE Enterprise Alliance and has participated in the CIIE since the inaugural expo in 2018. Over the past five years, Dole has established partnerships with hundreds of enterprises and made its brand well-known among Chinese consumers through the expo.

Dole has unveiled nine new products over the past five editions of the expo and many of them, including Sweetio bananas and pineapples, and Philippine avocados, have become popular among Chinese consumers. These products are now available in inland provinces and regions such as Qinghai, Xinjiang, and Tibet.

Dole believes that the CIIE has accelerated the opening of China's market for new fruit products. Since the inaugural edition of the expo, about 59 new fresh fruit varieties have entered the Chinese market.

The 172-year-old company now offers more than 90 types of fruits and vegetables from 19 different nations to over 90 countries..

By Zhao Guangmei