BANANA, TOP EXPORT PRODUCT IN Q1

Banana topped the country’s agri-fishery sector exports  with $489 million, 37.3 % of the total exports of $1.31 billion for the first quarter up by 12 % from the year-ago level of $1.17 billion.

Agriculture Secretary William Dar bared that the agri-fishery sector’s performance was a “complete opposite of the total Philippine exports for the quarter of $25.73 billion which is down by 5.16 %

This bolsters the emphasis of the agency to “reboot agriculture” in this time of the Covid 19 pandemic, a policy thrust shared also by the NEDA acting Secretary Karl Kendrick Chua to boost the economy.

Aside from banana, which posted a minimal 1.74 % rise for the quarter, the other  agri-fishery export earners were coconut oil, canned tuna, fresh or dried pineapples, desiccated coconut, other prepared fruits (e.g. banana chips), Carrageenan, prepared or preserved pineapples, and other cigarettes containing tobacco. #coronavirusimpact #COVID19PH