THE Philippines reclaimed its spot as the world’s second-largest banana exporter in 2025 on the back of a rebound in production, according to an international report.
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) said banana shipments from the Philippines surged by 30 percent to 3 million metric tons (MMT) last year, from the 2.33 MMT posted in 2024.
The international agency attributed the recovery in domestic banana output to better management of Fusarium Wilt Tropical Race 4 (TR4) disease, easing civil unrest, and government interventions.
‘The Philippines…saw production recover from the damages related to a variety of factors including the spread of TR4 and civil unrest experienced in recent years,’ the FAO said in its recent report.
Citing industry sources, the FAO noted that ‘substantial’ investments were funneled into boosting banana production in Cagayan Valley, including the Department of Agriculture’s (DA) provision of farm inputs like fertilizers.
With the recovery in local output, the Philippines officially returned to the previous export ranking it held for six years until 2022, as it slipped to third place in the subsequent years after being dislodged by Guatemala.
The FAO said China and Japan remained the key export markets of Philippine bananas.
While shipments of bananas to China posted a double-digit growth, the international report noted the disparity in quotations of its leading suppliers.
Imports from Vietnam, the leading supplier to China in 2025, averaged $407 per metric ton (MT), while those from the Philippines and Cambodia were around $600 per MT. Imports from Ecuador stood at $755 per MT.
The Philippines continued to corner 75 to 80 percent of Japan’s banana imports, but the FAO pointed to the 38-percent increase in the East Asian nation’s imports from Vietnam.
Despite this, the FAO said the global banana market continues to be subject to uncertainty from several risks that could disrupt trade.
‘With ongoing conflicts and wars weighing on the global economy, the risks of further disruptions to local and global supply chains, fertilizer markets, energy prices, transport routes and access to export markets heighten the uncertainty surrounding the outlook,’ the FAO said.
‘Rising living costs, high interest rates and exchange rate fluctuations may affect demand in domestic and export markets, especially for consumers in lower-income segments.’