DA sees good prospects for RP's tropical fruit exports

MANILA, Philippines - The Department of Agriculture (DA) sees good prospects for Philippine fruit exports pulled up by a rising global demand for tropical fruits especially in Europe and the United States.

Citing projections made by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), Mariz Agbon of the DA’s Philippine Agricultural Development and Commercial Corp. (PADCC) said global demand for fresh tropical fruits over the current decade is expected to be favorable, “with the forecast compound growth rate at nearly eight percent over the projections period for major tropical fruits.” 

Agbon said global imports of fresh fruits are estimated to reach 4.3 million metric tons by 2010, with 87 percent or 3.8 million MT, destined for markets in developed countries such as the US and the European Community (EC).

“The EC is expected to remain the world’s largest import market, followed by the United States , together accounting for 70 percent of import demand,” Agbon said.

FAO forecasts for the coming year show increased import volumes for the country’s four major tropical fruit exports – pineapple, mango, avocados and papaya – with the largest percentage increase forecast for mango at 9.7 percent.

Agbon said the US , EC, Japan, Canada and China (Hong Kong SAR) remain the largest import markets for fresh tropical fruit, with world trade continuing to be dominated by pineapples. 

The banana industry is projected to sustain its growth in the coming years and could surpass the 2009 expected value at $828 million, boosted by competitive farming and shipping methods.

The production of banana chip and other products is expected to increase from 21,000 to 41,000 MT by 2010, with Japan and Saudi Arabia taking a significant volume of such exports.

Likewise, the demand for mango products has been increasing, brought about by increasing incomes and population preferences for healthy foods and freer flow of goods in the global market because of the reduction in trade barriers.

“Asia and the Pacific should continue to be the most significant region for world mango production, supported by strong forecast growth in China , Thailand , the Philippines and India ,” Agbon said.

As for pineapple, Agbon said the US is expected to remain the world’s largest importer of the fruit, accounting for 46 percent of global imports.