The Philippines retained its position as the world’s second-largest pineapple exporter in 2023 for the 15th year in a row, as exports grew by nearly three percent due to increasing demand from China for high-quality fruits, according to the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).
In its annual market report, the FAO highlighted that the Philippines experienced a rise in demand for its MD2 pineapple variety, particularly in Asian markets like China. The report noted that pineapple exports from the Philippines increased by 2.7 percent in 2023, reaching 600,000 metric tons.
China emerged as the top buyer of Philippine pineapples, accounting for about 43 percent of total shipments last year. The FAO attributed this to Chinese consumers’ preference for premium quality pineapples, which have a long shelf life, year-round production, and an attractive price-to-quality ratio.
The report also indicated growth in pineapple exports to South Korea and Japan, with increases of six to eight percent. Japan and South Korea represented 30 percent and 14 percent of the Philippines’ pineapple shipments, respectively, in 2023.
According to the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), the country exported a total of 1.01 million metric tons of pineapples and pineapple products last year, valued at $731.94 million. Fresh pineapples made up half of these exports, with 597,313 metric tons worth $354 million.
Pineapples are the third largest agro-based export of the Philippines, following coconut products and fresh bananas. Meanwhile, Costa Rica maintained its lead as the world’s top pineapple exporter with a shipment volume of 3.2 million metric tons in 2023, as reported by the FAO.