Philippines mangoes make it to Canada; more fruits headed for UK

MANILA, Philippines — Locally grown Carabao mangoes have now entered the Canadian market, as the Philippines seeks to expand exports of farm products.

The Department of Agriculture (DA) announced the country’s first commercial shipment of fresh Carabao mangoes to Canada, consisting of 250 cartons with a total weight of one metric ton.

The product was shipped last Sept. 18 through a partnership between Mensch FilAm Corp. and the Department of Trade and Industry’s Export Marketing Bureau.

Vancouver-based distributor Fresh Makers Ltd., which serves supermarkets and institutional buyers, will take in the shipment. Air Canada handled the air transport and Airspeed Cargo provided logistics support.

Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. said the initial shipment forms part of the government’s push to open new markets for Philippine agricultural products and raise farmer earnings.

“Opening new markets means opening new opportunities for our farmers. When we can sell more Philippine agricultural products abroad, we create opportunities to increase farm incomes, encourage more investment in agriculture and bring greater economic activity to the countryside,” Tiu Laurel added.

He said stronger agricultural exports could open opportunities across the farm-to-market value chain, covering production and consolidation to logistics, processing and distribution.

To further expand markets for mangoes, the DA has been improving the industry’s capacity to meet export requirements and sustain access to international markets.

It noted that more than 40 mango growers’ groups have been consolidated into a single federation to strengthen industry coordination, supply consolidation and market access.

The agency said it has been working to tackle disease concerns affecting mango production while strengthening plant health measures to meet export market requirements.

The Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI) has also signed an agreement with Mitsui & Co. to support the local mango industry and expand opportunities for growers and exporters.

At the same time, the BPI is pushing to expand the market access of locally produced tropical fruits and farm products to the UK.

It is proposing reciprocal exports of premium Philippine agricultural products to the UK market.

Among the products currently proposed for expanded market access are fresh Cavendish bananas, MD2 pineapples, Carabao mangoes, Solo papaya, Hass avocados, value-added purple yam and specialty coffee.

In exchange, UK-grown fresh apples could be given expanded access in the Philippines, according to the agency.

The proposal follows a meeting with the BPI and a delegation led by the UK’s Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, along with representatives from the British Embassy in the Philippines.

The meeting tackled improvements in plant health protocols, the completion of the pest risk analysis for fresh apples from the UK and new strategies to expand agricultural trade between countries.

Since the UK submitted its technical information last March 2024, experts from both sides have exchanged scientific assessments to address potential pest risks. The meetings aim to secure safe market access and safeguard each country’s agricultural sector.

The BPI noted that the next step would be an audit visit with a proposed date for October 2026, beginning with a kick-off meeting that will include discussions on food safety.

“Once these important safety steps are completed, the Philippines and the UK will be closer to trading high-quality crops. This means UK apples could soon reach Filipino families and premium Philippine tropical fruits could reach British consumers,” the agency added.

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