WITH the banana industry continuing to shape Davao’s economic landscape, local growers and exporters are once again coming together to strengthen the Philippines’ standing in the global fruit market.
Despite challenges from pests, climate change, and international competition, industry players remain hopeful as they prepare for one of the year’s most anticipated events — the Banana Conference and Trade Exhibit 2025 (Bancon 2025).
Organized by the Philippine Exporters Confederation–Davao Region (Philexport Davao) in partnership with the Philippine Banana Council, Inc. (PhilBana Council), the event will bring together more than 400 growers, exporters, processors, and traders on November 5 and 6 at the SMX Convention Center, SM Lanang, Davao City.
Philexport Davao Executive Director Marizon Loreto said BANCON 2025 aims to strengthen collaboration between the private sector and the government in crafting measures to revitalize the industry. Like last year’s event, it will also feature new technologies, support services, and banana-based products.
Strengthening roots
The Philippines, once Asia’s top banana exporter, has seen its market share steadily decline over the past decade. Stephen Antig, executive director of the Pilipino Banana Growers and Exporters Association (PBGEA), said competition from Southeast Asian and Latin American producers has reduced the country’s dominance. Production and exports have also been hit by pests, climate change, and rising costs.
William Castro, president of the Mindanao Banana Farmers and Exporters Association, Inc. (MBFEA), said Cavendish banana cultivation in Mindanao has dropped by nearly half.
“Over 80,000 hectares in Mindanao have declined to about 40 to 50 percent in terms of Cavendish production,” he said at the Habi at Kape media forum on October 8. “This is why events like Bancon are important, to help growers sustain their farms and regain our place in the global market.”
Castro added that the Philippines’ banana export share in China currently stands at 27 percent, and industry players are hoping to grow that share through innovation and policy support.
Banana pulse still strong
Despite production challenges, Davao Region remains the center of the country’s banana industry. Data from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) show that bananas accounted for 94.8 percent of the region’s total fruit production in 2024, reaching 3.19 million metric tons, slightly lower than the previous year’s 3.27 million MT.
In 2023, banana exports generated US$1.19 billion, nearly half (48.18 percent) of the region’s total export value. However, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) reported a 2.97 percent decline in national banana exports in 2024, with worsening losses from Fusarium wilt (Panama disease), especially in smallholder farms.
Lessons from 2024
According to DTI–Davao, new investments worth ₱235 million were infused into the banana sector in 2024, creating around 1,000 jobs and expanding export capacity. But smaller farms continue to struggle with limited capital and disease management.
While Vietnam’s banana exports to China grew by nearly 24 percent last year, Philippine exports dropped by over 30 percent, reducing the country’s share in China’s market from 70 percent in 2017 to just 27.47 percent in 2024.
Industry leaders have renewed calls for stronger government support, including crop insurance, research funding, and reforms to agrarian policies that restrict large-scale farming.
Turning point
Philexport Davao’s continued leadership in organizing BANCON underscores its role as a unifying force for the industry. The conference has become a hub for presenting practical solutions — from disease-resistant varieties and mechanized farming tools to tariff reforms and export diversification.
DTI–Davao reported that in 2024, banana exports and processing ventures attracted US$4.23 million in new investments. The figure is expected to grow as stakeholders push for sustainability and innovation.
As Davao prepares to host Bancon 2025, the mood is cautiously optimistic. For an industry that has long symbolized both Mindanao’s prosperity and its vulnerabilities, the event represents more than a trade fair; it’s a collective push for revival.
If successful, the conversations and commitments forged at Bancon could help the Philippines, led by Davao, reclaim its place among the world’s banana giants: vibrant, resilient, and forward-looking. DEF