A 6,000-kilogram shipment of fermented Philippine cacao beans has opened New Zealand as a potential new market for local growers, giving the country’s high-value agriculture sector another avenue for export growth.

Sourced from Kapalong, Davao del Norte, the shipment was dispatched by the Department of Agriculture at Headcorp CY in Carmen on 13 July and is expected to reach the Port of Lyttelton in mid-August. The volume nearly matches the Philippines’ total cacao exports of 6,232 metric tons in 2025.

Agriculture Secretary Francisco P. Tiu Laurel Jr. said expanding export markets could raise farm incomes while bringing more foreign exchange into the country.

“Every new export market we open gives our farmers another opportunity to earn more from what they produce, while bringing more foreign exchange into the country,” Tiu Laurel said. “We need to keep building these markets because stronger agricultural exports mean better incomes for farmers and a stronger contribution from agriculture to the broader economy.”

Facilitated by Pemline Export Trading Co. and the Kapalong Cooperative, the shipment underwent inspection by DA and Plant Quarantine Service officials to ensure compliance with New Zealand’s import requirements. The beans also underwent a five-day, or 120-hour, aluminum phosphide fumigation process followed by aeration before shipment.

Agriculture Undersecretary Philip C. Young said the shipment shows the results of efforts to strengthen local high-value crop supply chains.

“This is a clear testament that our targeted interventions to empower local producers and modernize high-value export crop supply chains are yielding tangible international success,” Young said.

The initiative is part of the DA’s export development efforts under Department Order No. 12, Series of 2026, covering high-value export crops and agri-fishery products.

The New Zealand order could provide Philippine cacao producers with a foothold in another high-standard market, potentially leading to repeat shipments while supporting the government’s broader push to make agriculture more competitive in global trade.