The Philippines ranked third biggest banana exporter in 2023, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).
Philippine Statistics Authority data show that in 2023 the Philippines shipped 2.35 million tons of bananas to China and Japan as primary buyers.
The shipment last year represented a 3.5 percent increase from only 2.27 million tons in 2022.
The FAO said global banana exports for the period totaled 19.3 million tons, 12.2 percent of which were contributed by the Philippines.
The bulk of banana exports were from Ecuador totaling 6.2 million tons or 32.13 percent of all banana exports in the world. Guatemala exported 2.6 million tons or 13.5 percent of all shipments.
Costa Rica stood behind the Philippines with1.9 million tons or 9.8 percent of banana exports. Colombia was fifth biggest with 1.7 million tons or 8.8 percent of bananas shipped globally.
The FAO quoted the Pilipino Banana Growers and Exporters Association’s report saying the improved export figures in 2023 were driven by heavy investments in the containment of plant diseases as well as the successful rehabilitation of some 3,000 to 4,000 hectares of previously infected plantations.
The review mentioned that the Philippines accounts for 60 percent of Asian banana shipments on average, despite being impacted by adverse conditions traced to various factors, including the spread of fusarium wilt tropical race 4 disease, occasional flooding and occurrences of political unrest.
The banana plant disease more commonly known as Panama disease, is caused by the soil-borne fungus Fusarium oxysporum that enters the banana plant’s roots and colonizes the xylem vessels, blocking the flow of water and nutrients that causes the wilting and death.
The FAO said these and the logistical difficulties affected the quality of Philippine bananas that hampered shipments from the Philippines particularly during the first nine months of the year, notably to Japan and China.
The report said the situation only improved significantly in the final quarter of 2023, with exports to emerging destinations like Iran and Saudi Arabia respectively expanding by 60 percent and 12 percent in quantity terms.
