MANILA -- The Philippines started exporting fresh mangoes again to Australia with an initial shipment of 1,500 kilograms of Carabao mangoes during a simple send-off ceremony on September 6, 2023 at the Philippine Airlines (PAL) Cargo Terminal.
“The export of fresh mangoes to Australia is a milestone achievement for our agricultural sector. The meticulous planning, rigorous adherence to international quality standards, and continuous efforts of our farmers and exporters have culminated in this momentous occasion,” Department of Agriculture-Bureau of Plant Industry (DA-BPI) Director Gerald Glenn Panganiban said.
He added that the endeavor opens new horizons for the country’s agricultural produce and strengthens the bonds of international trade. In partnership with the DA-BPI, Bureau of Customs (BOC), and PAL, the Hi-Las Marketing Corporation shipped the mangoes to Sydney and Perth, which marked the first fresh mango export from the Philippines to Australia in ten years.
The event was led by DA-BPI Assistant Director for Research, Development and Production Support Services Herminigilda Gabertan, BOC NAIA Customhouse Export Division Chief Calil Dimangadap, Hi-Las President/CEO Roberto Angelo Amores II, exporter Joseph Bautista, and PAL Cargo Sales International Account Executive Adriane Placido.
“Since 2013 pa po kasi ang last nating export ng mango to Australia, so this a big step towards our mango industry development considering na kailangang kailangan po natin talagang i-promote ang ganitong mga produkto sa labas ng ating bansa,” Assistant Director Gabertan said.
She also thanked the exporters from Hi-Las and other partners in the private sector and assured them that the government, particularly the DA-BPI and the BPI-National Plant Quarantine Services Division (NPQSD), will always be there to assist them.
“With this commencement of the export to Australia, we hope that we are able to ship more of our good quality products across the globe para bumalik ulit tayo sa mercado. We’re very thankful for the opportunity talaga that we are able to penetrate some new foreign market again. Hopefully, this will result to higher export volume,” Amores said. (Gumamela Celes Bejarin, DA-AFID)
