The country’s agricultural sector achieved a historic milestone in April 2026, with export revenues surging to an all-time high of US$1.03 billion, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA).
This represents a remarkable 33.2% annual growth compared to the US$772.68 million recorded in April 2025, marking the highest agricultural export value since the data series began in 2000.
The export boom significantly altered the country’s agricultural trade balance. While the sector maintained a trade deficit of US$-600.09 million for the month, this figure reflects a substantial 34.7% annual decrease in the deficit, driven by the powerful performance of outbound shipments.
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Total Agricultural Trade: Reached US$2.66 billion, posting a steady annual increase of 7.8%. While overall trade grew year-over-year, it marked a sequential dip, being the lowest recorded since February 2026 (US$2.46 billion).
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Trade Balance Breakdown: Total exports accounted for 38.7% (US$1.03 billion) of total trade, while agricultural imports comprised 61.3% (US$1.63 billion).
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Export Share: Agricultural exports accounted for 14.3% of the country’s total national export revenue for the month.
The driving force behind the historic export revenue was heavily concentrated in the sector’s top performing goods. The top 10 agricultural commodity groups collectively contributed US$1.01 billion (98.2%) to the total agricultural export revenue, yielding a combined annual increase of 35.4%.
Leading Sector: Animal, vegetable, or microbial fats and oils (and their cleavage products, prepared edible fats, and waxes) dominated the market. Valued at US$443.57 million, this single commodity group secured a massive 43.1% share of all agricultural exports in April 2026.
Agricultural exports to ASEAN member countries reached US$119.89 million in April 2026, representing 11.2% of the country’s total export value to the region.
Within the ASEAN bloc, Malaysia emerged as the primary trading partner, purchasing US$70.01 million worth of agricultural goods—commanding a dominant 58.4% share of the country’s total agricultural exports to the region.
The 7.8% annual growth in total agricultural trade in April follows an 11.2% annual increase in March 2026, and a 5.2% expansion in April 2025. Conversely, the narrowing of the trade deficit by 34.7% in April 2026 stands in sharp contrast to March 2026, which saw the deficit widen by 30.8% annually.
