Banana

The Philippines is the second largest banana producer in the world, according to the Department of Agriculture (DA). Around 95 percent of banana supply in Asia are grown in the Philippines where the local industry earns $1.2 billion annually.

The Cavendish variety of Davao City, considered one of the best in the world, is exported to Japan and Korea. This Philippine fruit variety is also being exported to countries like Indonesia, Pakistan, Jordan, and others. Aside from being eaten raw, the Philippine banana can be processed into jams, candies, and purees. The unripe ones may be processed into starch and chips while the banana extracts can be processed into wine, catsup, and vinegar.

Coconut

As the second world’s largest coconut producer, the Philippine continues to impress the global market with its coconut that has inherent sweetness and processing adaptability. Coconut oil and desiccated coconut are part of the top 10 farm exports in the Philippines. Accordingly, consumption of coconut water has been growing in popularity due to its health benefits and the rising “Western Coco Craze.”

The coconut flour is recognized as a healthy substitute for wheat flour. Philippine-made coco flour is free from gluten and supplies great dietary fiber to produce a lot of recipe-based food for desserts, drinks, and pastries and is even used as a thickening agent for sauces and gravies.

Pineapple

The Philippines is the third biggest pineapple-producing nation in the world, with the island of Mindanao hosting 90% of the plantations. The country exports Philippine pineapple to various markets including Japan, South Korea, and Singapore. The amount of export is steadily increasing due to the growing global awareness of the pineapple’s high nutritional value.

The Philippine pineapple is prepared and consumed in various forms such as chunks, slices, juices, syrups, and jams. The production wastes are further processed into sugar, wines, and vinegar.

Mango

MANGO is the Philippine national fruit. It is considered the world’s sweetest, and one of the world’s best. The Philippines is among the world’s top ten mango exporters. The Philippine mango has a growing market in Japan, Singapore, Hong Kong, Korea, USA, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, UK, and Switzerland. Philippine mangoes are also being preserved as jams or dried as a snack. The dried mangoes for exports are growing in quantity and value. With its expanding menu categories, the Philippine mangoes are appealing to multicultural consumers, flavor lovers, and health-seekers, whether in sweet or savory applications.