Philippine mangoes arrival in Australia

Australians will soon be tasting the Guinness Book of World Records “sweetest mangoes in the world” from the Philippines, as the first batch of shipment arrives in Sydney and Perth on 07 September 2023.

Cultivated all year round in the Philippines, mangoes are the country’s top tropical fruit. The initial shipment of the most popular mango variety, Carabao, were harvested from the local farms in Malalag, Digos, Bansalan, and Magsaysay municipalities in Davao del Sur.

From the 94.00 thousand metric tons output in the same quarter of 2022, the Philippine mango production during the first quarter of 2023 projected an increase of 2.0 percent at 95.86 thousand metric tons as published by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA).

Meanwhile, data from the Philippine Department of Agriculture’s High Value Crops Development Program showed that the country’s export of fresh mango increased from 8,804 MT in 2018 to 11,498 MT in 2022, Hong Kong being the top market, next is Korea and Japan respectively.

Following months of preparations and ensuring that the Specific Commodity Understanding (SCU) for the Importation to Australia of Fresh Mango Fruit from the Philippines is strictly adhered to, the Department of Agriculture, Fishery and Forestry (DAFF) granted approval for trade to commence from 30 August 2023.

The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) maximizes the country’s untapped export potential through the launch of the Philippine Export Development Plan (PEDP) and in conjunction with the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement’s (RCEP) entry into force last June.

Trade Secretary Fred Pascual said in a Malacañang press briefing that PEDP aims to address challenges that the Philippines face in different sectors of the economy, particularly the exports sector by capitalizing on the country’s export growth opportunities.

The Philippine Trade and Investment Center (PTIC) – Sydney Commercial Counsellor Alma Argayoso, together with Australia Philippines Business Council (APBC) welcomes this positive trade development between the two countries.

Being the premier business organization dedicated to promoting trade and investment between Australia and the Philippines, APBC, affirmed that mango export not only boosts agri-trade between Western Australia and Mindanao but also contributes to the sustainability of the Manila-Perth-Manila flight recently launched by Philippine Airlines (PAL).

PAL is the only carrier that can offer seamless transfer from Davao or General Santos City to Manila and immediately connect to Perth under one warehouse. ♦

Date of Release: 11 September 2023