If you look at Philippine agricultural export over the past 20 or so years, it is clear that three major crops stand out. The first is coconuts, which are shipped to the US and other countries as coconut oil, desiccated coconut, and other related products. I have written about this important industry in previous columns and how corporate Philippines is taking notice and investing in this sector, which provides livelihood for almost a fourth of all farmers and is suited to our mountainous terrain.

The other export crops worth noting are bananas and pineapples. Recent news points to the Philippines being the world’s number two producer of both commodities.

Despite challenges, achieving the second spot in global production of bananas and pineapples means we grow them very well, exporting to discerning international customers. For this we must give credit to the thousands of farmers, consolidators, processors and exporters who make up the industries around such fruits. Many of these exporters, and the value chains they represent, are based in Mindanao.

Bananas and pineapples deliver almost nine percent of the total agricultural Gross Value Added (GVA) of the country, and drive a major part of the regional economies of the Davao, Soccsksargen, and Northern Mindanao regions.

This is because meeting the demands of export customers require expertise in crop science, business innovation, efficient logistics, and other locally available services needed to grow and export these two commodities to meet international standards. These fuel the revenue for local businesses, and employ many residents in these areas to bolster their respective regional economies.

What many need to understand is that keeping these top positions in export markets requires constant work, innovation, and perseverance. This is especially true since we are not the only country producing high-quality pineapples and bananas. While attaining preferential tariffs in major markets is always good, continual improvement toward achieving competitive costs in other areas, such as shipping and production, need to be attained if an export enterprise is to be competitive in the long term.

Achieving these results shine a light on our agricultural sector in terms of exports and imports. Department of Agriculture data show that we exported $884.77 million worth of agricultural commodities, versus $1.55 billion in imports, a deficit that still stands at $668.35 million despite recent increases in exports. This can mean that the more volume and value we export, the better for us and the farming families that benefit from growing and processing these crops.

Toward this, governments can create a strong, enabling, and effective regulatory environment for greater competititvness to take place. At the same time, business groups and Filipinos abroad can help promote the export of more of our exportable commodities to new markets. These combined efforts are a big help to exporters who have to contend with discerning customers, international standards, and the rules of the receiving country.

As we face increasing global uncertainties, we need to boost our ability to supply ourselves with basic needs. At the same time, we will need to increase the value and volume of our agricultural exports. This not only secures food for us, but drives growth in local livelihood and the rural economies where pineapples, bananas, and other export-quality commodities are grown and processed. For this, all hands from the private and public sectors must be on deck to find ways to a robust and competitive future for our export agriculture sector.