The Philippines is expanding the presence of its agricultural commodities in the Oceania region after shipping another batch of fresh Philippine cardava bananas to New Zealand, according to the Department of Agriculture (DA).

In a statement, the DA said a 40-foot refrigerated container carrying 1,400 boxes, each containing 12 kilos of fresh saba bananas, was shipped to Auckland in northern New Zealand last July 11.

The export-quality bananas were sourced from accredited farms in Davao del Norte province and processed at an accredited packing facility compliant with global food safety and export requirements.

Davao-based exporter Avante Agri-Products Philippines Inc. facilitated the shipment, which is bound for Auckland-based supplier Fresh Produce Group NZ Ltd.

The shipment follows the arrival of its maiden export earlier this year, which was well received by the buyer, “paving the way for succeeding exports in the coming months.”

The DA said the repeat order is a welcome boost for banana growers in Mindanao, where producers are seeking to diversify their export markets to reduce dependence on traditional destinations.

DA Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel said this is a sign of growing demand abroad for locally grown commodities, including native crops.

Tiu Laurel said the DA is working double time to open more export markets for local farm products to create “better opportunities to increase farmers’ incomes, generate rural jobs, and build a more competitive agricultural sector.”

Meanwhile, DA Undersecretary Philip Young said the latest shipment of saba bananas is part of the DA’s broader strategy to diversify both export markets and products.

Young said demand for the commodity in New Zealand demonstrates that the export sector is well positioned to broaden the country’s agricultural portfolio and command higher value for these crops abroad.

“Every successful shipment builds confidence among overseas buyers and brings us closer to our goal of giving Filipino farmers more stable markets and better incomes through exports,” Young said.

The latest Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) data showed that the value of the country’s banana exports rose by 18 percent to $773.77 million from January to May, from $654.89 million in the same period last year.

Agriculture-based exports reached $3.41 billion in the first five months, up 14 percent from $2.99 billion a year ago, PSA data showed. - Dexter Barro II