The Department of Agriculture Regional Field Office XI recently led the send-off of a 17.2-metric-ton shipment of Cardava bananas, sweet potatoes, and singkamas (turnip) to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia marking a commercial milestone for Davao Region’s agribusiness sector and reinforcing government efforts to expand the country’s agricultural exports.
The shipment, valued at P800,000, consists of 1,350 boxes of Cardava bananas weighing 12 kilos each, 50 boxes of sweet potatoes and 50 boxes of singkamas weighing 10 kilos each. Exported by Gerb Golden Hands Corp. of Sto. Tomas, Davao del Norte, the produce is bound for Rana Mohammed Saleem Commercial LLC in Jeddah.
The export opportunity traces its roots to the AGRA Middle East Exhibition 2024 held at the Dubai World Trade Centre, where the Department of Agriculture Regional Field Office XI and Gerb Golden Hands showcased Davao’s agricultural products before international buyers.
What started as business discussions on the exhibition floor has now become an actual commercial shipment, underscoring the growing payoff from the Department of Agriculture’s push to connect Filipino producers directly with overseas buyers.
Regional Executive Director Macario D. Gonzaga said the shipment demonstrates that sustained investment in export promotion is beginning to generate tangible results for farmers and agribusinesses across the region.
“This shipment is proof that our participation in international trade exhibitions goes beyond promotion. It creates real market opportunities for our farmers and exporters. Every successful shipment strengthens Davao Region’s reputation as a dependable source of premium agricultural products and opens the door to more sustained export opportunities,” Gonzaga said.
Agriculture Secretary Francisco P. Tiu Laurel Jr. said expanding overseas markets has become a key strategy for strengthening Philippine agriculture and reducing the country’s agricultural trade deficit, which has exceeded USD11 billion annually in recent years.
“Every new export market we open creates opportunities for Filipino farmers to earn more from what they grow instead of allowing that value to benefit producers in other countries. Expanding agricultural exports helps narrow our trade deficit, encourages investments in modern farming and logistics, generates jobs in rural communities and builds a more competitive agricultural sector that can drive long-term economic growth,” Tiu Laurel said.
While modest in size, the shipment reflects a broader strategy of diversifying Philippine agricultural exports beyond traditional products and destinations.
For Davao’s growers, it also serves as a reminder that the journey from a trade fair booth to supermarket shelves abroad may take time, but when it succeeds, it delivers far more than a single export order. It creates lasting market access, stronger rural livelihoods and fresh momentum for one of the country’s most export-oriented agricultural regions.
