The Philippines shipped high-value crops worth P800,000 from Davao to Jeddah, according to the Department of Agriculture (DA).
The DA Regional Field Office 11 led the send-off of a 17.2-metric-ton (MT) shipment of Cardava bananas, sweet potatoes, and turnip (singkamas) to the Saudi Arabian city.
The shipment consists of 1,350 boxes of Cardava bananas weighing 12 kilos each, 50 boxes of sweet potatoes, and 50 boxes of singkamas weighing 10 kilos each.
Exported by Gerb Golden Hands Corp. of Sto. Tomas, Davao del Norte, the produce is bound for Rana Mohammed Saleem Commercial LLC in Jeddah.
The DA said the export opportunity traces its roots to the AGRA Middle East Exhibition 2024 held at the Dubai World Trade Centre, where the RFO XI and Gerb Golden Hands showcased Davao’s agricultural products before international buyers.
For Regional Executive Director Macario Gonzaga, the shipment demonstrates that sustained investment in export promotion would generate tangible results for farmers and agribusinesses across the region.
‘This shipment is proof that our participation in international trade exhibitions goes beyond promotion. It creates real market opportunities for our farmers and exporters,’ Gonzaga said.
‘Every successful shipment strengthens Davao Region’s reputation as a dependable source of premium agricultural products and opens the door to more sustained export opportunities.’
For his part, Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. said expanding overseas markets is among the key strategies for strengthening Philippine agriculture and reducing the country’s agricultural trade deficit, which has surpassed $11 billion annually in recent years.
‘Every new export market we open creates opportunities for Filipino farmers to earn more from what they grow instead of allowing that value to benefit producers in other countries,’ he said.
‘Expanding agricultural exports helps narrow our trade deficit, encourages investments in modern farming and logistics, generates jobs in rural communities and builds a more competitive agricultural sector that can drive long-term economic growth.’
While modest in size, the DA said the shipment reflects a broader strategy of diversifying Philippine agricultural exports beyond traditional products and destinations.