GENERAL SANTOS CITY (MindaNews / 09 June) – Coconut remains the top agricultural product in Mindanao over a five-year period, with cacao at the bottom among 13 commodities, according to the latest data from the Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA). In the “Mindanao in Figures 2024,” coconut production reached 44.6 million metric tons (MT) from 2019 to 2023. Dubbed the “tree of life,” coconut consistently led as Mindanao’s number one crop, though production slightly declined to 8.96 million MT in 2023 from 9.01 million MT the previous year. Banana followed with 38.22 million MT, trailed by palay (22.40 million MT), sugarcane (21.87 million MT), and corn (21.24 million MT). Pineapple ranked sixth with 12.52 million MT, followed by cassava (9.94 million MT), oil palm (2.44 million MT), rubber (2.08 million MT), mango (1.35 million MT), abaca (143,145 MT), coffee (125,574 MT), and cacao (44,157 MT). The top 13 crops collectively produced 176.94 million MT during the five-year period. In 2023, while coconut remained the top crop, it was second to banana as Mindanao’s leading export product. Fresh and dried banana exports, including plantain, had a Free on Board (FOB) value of US$1.22 billion, followed by coconut at $920.37 million. Mindanao’s top 10 exports also included non-agricultural products like metallic minerals. MinDA Assistant Secretary Romeo Montenegro highlighted Mindanao’s crucial role in the country’s export production and national food output, emphasizing the need to improve economies of scale to enhance global competitiveness. “Our products can go far beyond local markets if we scale up and meet global standards,” he said, reaffirming MinDA’s commitment to agribusiness development, value chain integration, and coastal resource management. (Bong S. Sarmiento / MindaNews)
