The Philippines has made its first commercial export of fresh Carabao mangoes to Toronto, Canada, opening a new market for one of the country's top agricultural products and advancing efforts to expand overseas sales of Philippine farm goods.

The shipment was dispatched Wednesday, 3 June, from the Philippine Airlines cargo terminal in Pasay City, with government officials and industry stakeholders marking the milestone.

Agriculture Secretary Francisco P. Tiu Laurel Jr. said the export forms part of the government's strategy to diversify destinations for Philippine agricultural products.

“This is another step toward our goal of widening and diversifying the global market for our farm products such as bananas, coconuts and mangoes. It is time for other parts of the world to get a taste of the Philippines,” Tiu Laurel said.

The Canada shipment follows last year’s inaugural export of fresh Philippine mangoes to Rome and supports efforts to increase the global presence of locally grown produce.

The Department of Agriculture (DA) is also promoting other high-value export crops, including bananas, pineapples, durian, pomelo, avocado, dragon fruit, calamansi and cacao.

Agriculture Undersecretary Philip C. Young said the shipment demonstrates how government support and private-sector participation can help create new opportunities for Filipino farmers.

“The government is helping pave the way for the private sector to showcase to the world the products of Philippine farms. This is what happens when a nation works together,” Young said.

The shipment was coordinated by the Philippine Agriculture Office in Washington, D.C., together with the Philippine Consulate General and the Philippine Trade and Investment Center in Toronto. Hi-Las Marketing Corp. and Castillo Import Export Ventures Inc. supplied the mangoes, while TSI Tropicals Inc. served as the importer. Philippine Airlines handled the transport of the fresh produce to Canada.