MANILA – Mr. Muhamed Salim bin Mohd Ali, Chief Executive Officer of the International Tropical Fruits Network (TFNet), paid a courtesy call to the Asian Development Bank (ADB) on 18 November as part of his working visit to the Philippines.
Mr. Salim met with Dr. Jiangfeng Zhang, Director of the Southeast Asia and the Pacific and Resilient River Basin Team, Agriculture, Food, Nature and Rural Development Sector of ADB.
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) is a regional development bank committed to promoting social and economic progress across Asia through investments such as loans, grants, and knowledge support in areas including infrastructure, healthcare, agriculture, and natural resource management.
During the meeting, Mr. Salim presented TFNet’s core roles and activities, including its work in knowledge and information exchange, capacity building and training, technical services and consultancy, research and advocacy, and facilitation of trade and market access for the tropical fruit sector.
Dr. Zhang, in turn, shared examples of ADB’s agriculture-related initiatives in TFNet Member Countries, such as value chain integration for smallholders, development of postharvest and logistics infrastructure, financing mechanisms for agro-based enterprises, crop diversification, and strengthening market linkages for farmers.
He also encouraged TFNet to register as a consultant on the ADB platform and apply for relevant project opportunities as they arise.
