PH Pineapple, Mango Exports Seen To Rise

Philippine-grown pineapples and mangoes will soon find their way through additional ports of entry in the USA to benefit more Americans, Filipinos, and other citizens.

Photo Insert: Pineapples and mangoes from the Philippines are considered by many to be among the best in the world.

This favorable development came after the Philippine Department of Agriculture’s Bureau of Plant Industry (DA-BPI) and the US Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (USDA-APHIS) mutually agreed on and threshed out several pending issues, in a recent virtual meeting.

“Expanding the export market of Philippine pineapples and mangoes in the US and other countries will not only enhance our national economy but more importantly, provide increased incomes to thousands of farmers and their families in pineapple- and mango-producing provinces nationwide,” said Agriculture Secretary William Dar.

“Further, it is a realization of one of the key strategies under our ‘OneDA Reform Agenda’ to transform Philippine agriculture, that is, ‘Global Trade, Export Development and Promotion,’ with focus on high-value crops,” the DA chief added.

“On behalf of President Rodrigo Roa Duterte and Filipino farmers, we, therefore, thank the officials of the USDA-APHIS and our DA-BPI for mutually resolving issues that would further increase trade between our two countries,” said Secretary Dar.

With the recent agreement between the APHIS and BPI, the Philippines could dramatically increase exports of pineapples and resume shipments of mangoes to the US via additional ports of entry, he added.

Currently, Philippine fresh pineapples reach the US through Guam, Commonwealth of Marianas Island, and North Atlantic regions, according to the DA-BPI. From 2013 to July 15, 2021, exports amounted to only 346,190 kilograms (kg). The country previously exported fresh mangoes to the US, from 2005 to 2008, totaling 386,099 kg, all produced in Guimaras Island, the DA-BPI added.

During the August 12 virtual meeting, the Philippine panel was led by BPI assistant director for regulatory services, Ariel Bayot, together with DA agriculture counselor to the USA and Americas, Dr. Maria Araceli Escandor, and Dayanara Lausa, desk officer for the Americas at the DA international affairs division. The US delegation was led by Deputy Director Matthew Messenge, of the USDA-APHIS PPQ-Phytosanitary Issued Management Unit.

In a report to Secretary Dar, through BPI Director George Culaste, Joselito Antioquia, OIC-chief of the BPI National Plant Quarantine Services Division, said the USDA-APHIS has accepted the evidence that the “Smooth Cayenne” — the Philippines’ main export pineapple variety — is not a host to the oriental fruit fly.

The fruit pest, known scientifically as Bactrocera dorsalis (Hendel), is very destructive and often finds its way into the US, sometimes triggering wide-scale eradication programs.

APHIS is the main US agency responsible for protecting animal health, animal welfare, and plant health. It is also the lead agency for collaboration with other agencies to protect US agriculture from invasive pests and diseases.

Antioquia said APHIS will provide BPI the risk mitigation measures for oriental fruit fly. After the BPI agrees on the measures, APHIS will publish the initial notice in the Federal Register for a 60-day stakeholder comment period, review any comments, and then publish the final notice that allows the expanded market access for Philippine pineapples into the US, except Hawaii.

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