PH mangoes debut in Italy
The inaugural shipment of Philippine mangoes recently landed at the Fiumicino Airport in Rome, Italy. Photo from the Department of Agriculture.

Philippine mangoes recently debuted in Italy.

The inaugural shipment of the fruit landed at the Fiumicino Airport in Rome, Italy.

Totalling over half a ton, it was the first time that local mangoes were commercially exported to Italy, a result of the work of Filipino entrepreneurs backed by the Department of Agriculture and the Philippine Embassy in Rome.

It shows what can happen when public institutions, private initiative, and overseas Filipinos work together to elevate Philippine products to global standards,” Department of Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. said in a statement.

In her report to the DA chief, Agriculture Attaché to Italy Dr. Josyline C. Javelosa credited a dynamic group of Filipino small-business owners in Rome – a few members of the Philippine Chamber of Commerce in Italy – for making the venture possible.

The group had no past experience in importing fresh produce,  but through persistent coordination, guidance, and technical support of the DA Attache’s Office, they successfully navigated Italy’s rigorous import regulations and introduced one of the Philippines’ most famous fruits to the Italian market.

The mangoes were sourced from Pangasinan farms, with the DA’s Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI) ensuring that all sanitary and phytosanitary certifications were in place.

BPI Director Glenn Panganiban noted that many Philippine mango farms already comply with Italy’s strict plant health standards, making the expansion feasible and sustainable.

This is also the result of the technical discussions represented by the DA BPI as the National Plant Protection Office (NPPO) during conferences such as the Commission on Phytosanitary Measures (CPM).

Tiu Laurel said the maiden mango export to Italy is more than a one-off achievement—it is a signal to the entire mango industry.

“This development should encourage our mango farmers to aim for premium quality. It also opens the door for more investment, from both government and the private sector, to strengthen the competitiveness of Philippine mangoes globally,” he said.

The export is also aligned with the Marcos administration’s broader international development strategy.

Mangoes have been identified as the country’s flagship commodity under the Food and Agriculture Organization’s One Country One Priority Product initiative. The goal is to build sustainable, climate-resilient agricultural value chains that benefit farmers and rural communities.

Dr. Javelosa emphasized the strategic importance of mangoes in international cooperation. “This export milestone reflects the Philippines’ commitment to green agriculture and inclusive development,” she said.

Further solidifying the effort, the Philippines included mangoes in the FAO’s Hand-in-Hand Investment Initiative, which matches donor and development support with national agricultural plans.

In October 2024, Tiu Laurel presented in Rome an investment case worth $50 million aimed at sustainably supporting an additional 27,000 mango farming households.

With this first shipment, Philippine mangoes are now poised to win over Italian consumers—not just as a tropical delicacy, but as a symbol of agricultural resilience, diaspora unity, and global ambition.

READ: DTI taps logistics firms for wider market access of Guimaras mangoes

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