PH ships first commercial batch of Carabao mangoes to Canada

The Philippines made its first commercial shipment of Carabao mangoes to Canada as the government seeks to expand market access for the country’s agricultural products, the Department of Agriculture (DA) said.

The Vancouver-bound shipment, consisting of one metric ton or 250 cartons of fresh mangoes, was sent on September 18 through Mensch FilAm Corp. and the Department of Trade and Industry’s Export Marketing Bureau.

“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,” DA Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. said in a statement.

The shipment was handled by Vancouver-based distributor Fresh Makers Ltd., while Air Canada transported the mangoes.

The DA said more than 40 mango farmers’ associations were merged into a single federation to improve industry coordination, streamline supply chains, and expand market opportunities.

The DA, through the Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI), is also addressing disease concerns affecting mango production and strengthening plant health measures needed to meet export market requirements, it added.

The BPI and Japanese firm Mitsui & Co. also signed an agreement aimed at supporting the development of the Philippine mango industry, further strengthening efforts to expand opportunities for local mango growers and exporters, the DA said.

The Philippines is among the world’s top mango-producing countries.

Carabao, Pico, and Katchamita are among the most popular mango varieties grown in the country.— MCG, GMA News