The Department of Agriculture (DA), is continuing coordination with Australian authorities to open the Australian market for Philippine Cavendish banana exports.
BPI director Glenn Panganiban said the Philippine government has already submitted initial technical information to its Australian counterparts ahead of their planned visit to local banana producers. He said communication is ongoing to advance market access for Philippine agricultural products.
According to the Australian Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, a technical visit to the Philippines is being arranged to review local commercial production, pest management systems, and export practices. The visit forms part of Australia’s assessment of the Philippines’ request to allow banana imports under alternative biosecurity measures.
Australia earlier identified key plant disease risks in its 2008 import risk analysis for Philippine bananas. These include Moko disease, black Sigatoka, and banana freckle. Australian authorities said alternative measures will only be accepted if scientific assessment shows they can effectively manage biosecurity risks and meet Australia’s protection standards.
The review will also reassess the 2008 import risk analysis to determine whether previous pest risk findings remain valid and whether new biosecurity concerns have emerged.
Following the technical visit, Australia plans to release an issues paper outlining the assessment process and providing background on the Philippines’ request. A draft report is targeted for public consultation by late 2026 to early 2027, although timelines may still change.
Meanwhile, a preliminary market review by the Food and Agriculture Organization projects that the Philippines could become the world’s second-largest banana exporter in 2025.
The report estimates Philippine banana exports may reach 2.93 million metric tons (MT) in 2025, equivalent to 14.05 percent of projected global shipments of 20.82 million MT. In 2024, the Philippines ranked third globally with 2.33 million MT exported.
For 2025, Ecuador is expected to remain the top exporter with 6.41 million MT, followed by the Philippines.
The FAO noted that Philippine banana production has recovered from previous damage caused by plant diseases, including fusarium wilt tropical race 4. Data from the Philippine Statistics Authority show total banana production reached 8.69 million MT in 2024, with Cavendish accounting for 4.48 million MT, or 51.6 percent of total output.
