DA: Philippines mangoes debut in Italy

MANILA, Philippines — In a land famous for pizza, pasta, espresso and gelato, the sweet and tangy mango – one of the Philippines’ most beloved fruits – is soon entering the markets of Italy for the first time.

Boxes of Philippine mangoes sourced from Pangasinan farms landed at the Fiumicino airport in Rome on Sunday, according to the Department of Agriculture.

DA Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. described the country’s first commercial shipment of mangoes to Italy as “historic.”

Bureau of Plant Industry director Glenn Panganiban said “many Philippine mango farms already comply with Italy’s strict plant health standards, making this expansion feasible and sustainable.”

Josyline Javelosa, DA’s attaché to Italy, said the shipment was made possible by “a dynamic group of Filipino small business owners in Rome, a few members of the Philippine Chamber of Commerce in Italy.”

Tiu Laurel presented in Rome a $50-million investment case aimed at sustainably supporting an additional 27,000 mango farming households in October 2024, the DA noted.