THE Philippines will start exporting Hass avocados to South Korea by the end of September, the Department of Agriculture (DA) said.
The DA said that the initial shipments will come from orchards accredited by the DA’s Bureau of Plant Industry and the packaging operations of Dole Philippines, Inc. in Davao, Bukidnon, and South Cotabato.
“We thank the Korean government for finally approving market access for our Hass avocado exports,” (DA) Senior Undersecretary Domingo F. Panganiban said in a statement.
The DA said that the initial agreement was signed on June 19 and took effect on Sept. 8 for produce harvested during the 2023-2024 season.
“Hass avocados have become popular in Korea as the main nutritional ingredients for salad and sandwiches. They are available at leading retail stores and online markets, in fresh and frozen form, but are mostly from Latin America,” the DA said.
The government initially requested export access for Hass avocados in 2009 but was blocked due to pest concerns.
“The PRA (Pest Risk Analysis) for Hass avocado resumed after the Philippines’ success in securing market access for okra exports to Korea in 2021,” it added.
Additionally, the DA will promote Philippine avocados through its agriculture office in Seoul, in collaboration with Dole Korea Ltd.
Aleli Maghirang, the agriculture attaché in Seoul, said that there is an increasing demand for agricultural products in South Korea, especially those items associated with healthy lifestyles.
Korean consumers are expressing a preference for “food with health and wellness benefits bodes well for Philippine agricultural exporters,” Ms. Maghirang said.
“This presents an opportunity for the DA to encourage the increased cultivation of export winners such as tropical fruit and high-value agricultural products to meet the growing demand of the discerning Korean market for healthy food,” she added.
In 2022, the Philippines produced a total of 20.08 million metric tons of avocado, up 1%, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority.
Other fruit exports are fresh bananas, pineapple, papaya, and mango. The Philippines is the sole exporter of fresh okra to South Korea. — Adrian H. Halili
