WHOLE steamed saba bananas from Davao-based processor Golden Flavours Pastries and Gourmet Inc. are bound for the Australian market.
Golden Flavours Pastries and Gourmet Inc. held a send-off ceremony Tuesday, Sept. 22, at Subzero Ice and Cold Storage for its first trial shipment bound for Sydney, Australia.
The initial shipment of about seven tons of steamed saba is scheduled to sail on Oct. 3, 2026, with a tentative arrival in Australia on Nov. 3, 2026.
Department of Agriculture XI said saba bananas used for the product are at 90 to 100 percent maturity and undergo blast freezing at -18°C, extending the product’s shelf life to up to one year.
The shipment is a direct offshoot of SIE Sabbah International Expo 2026, which provided business connections for local agribusiness stakeholders with international stakeholders to explore global markets.
Razel Ann Suy Tan, Golden Flavours general manager, said the shipment maximizes the potential of locally available agricultural commodities as well as creating direct livelihood opportunities for Indigenous Peoples (IP) communities.
“This effort is about making use of what we have and creating value from our local commodities. More importantly, we want this opportunity to directly benefit our IP communities by providing them with a market for their produce and helping create a sustainable source of livelihood,” Tan said.
She added that developing processed products from local commodities ensures communities producing these are part of the value chain, which also helps stabilize its market.
The company is looking at more shipments to Australia and other agricultural products in the future.
DA said this first export shipment expands the market for processed Cardava bananas and provides additional market opportunities for banana farmers and IP communities in the Davao Region.
To note, Davao City-based exporter Avante-Agri Products Philippines has also secured a deal with two international distributors of saba bananas, Cozy and Korner Trading Co. of Hong Kong and Fresh Produce Group of New Zealand.
The signing of Supply and Purchase agreements during Asia Fruit Logistica on Sept. 2 strengthened the new market opportunities for Philippine saba.
Marie Ann M. Constantino, DA XI regional technical director for operations, emphasized that opening markets for locally produced agricultural commodities also responds to the growing demand for Filipino food products abroad.
“This is not only about bringing Filipino products to the international market. It is also about giving our farmers an opportunity to earn more from their produce. There are Filipinos abroad who are craving for the Filipino taste, and through this initiative, we can help satisfy that demand while creating livelihood opportunities for our farmers,” Constantino said.
Assistant Secretary Romeo Montenegro of the Mindanao Development Authority said the shipment shows there is potential for Mindanao agriculture to reach bigger markets.
“This project creates a direct link from our small farmers and Indigenous Peoples who grow the bananas to high-value markets as far as Australia. The goal is not simply to produce more, but to enable our farmers to move up the value chain, access better markets, and earn more from what they produce,” Montenegro said.
