Report: The Philippines doubled its potato imports from the USA
The Unites States sees Philippines imports of its fresh potatoes increasing by 47.6% this year at around 15,000 metric tons.
In its report titled “Philippines: Philippine Market Opens to US Potatoes - TradeDoubles,” the United States Department of Agriculture’s Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) said that Philippine imports of US fresh potatoes have doubled in 2013 from 2012 levels, reaching 10,161 metric tonnes of imports from 5,289 metric tonnes the year previous. Based on Philippine trading partner export statistics, the top three exporting countries for potatoes in 2013 were: the U.S. with 10,161 metric tonnes, Germany with 4,215 metric tonnes and China with 1,905 metric tonnes. Industry contacts report that exports of potatoes from China dropped significantly in 2013 due to Philippine government efforts to crackdown on illegal imports. Trade contacts also report that export prices of fresh potatoes from the EU increased slightly in 2013, resulting in a slight decline in exports to the Philippines. For this year, the FAS said its industry and trade contacts estimate to reach the 15,000 metric tonnes -level in exports to the Philippines. The agency attributed the increase to the opening up of the Philippines in June last year to importations of fresh potato into the country from all over the United States except some areas of Idaho.
Previously, the Philippines only allowed US potatoes for chipping or processing for import. The Philippines’ Department of Agriculture classifies white potato as a “priority crop,” referring to those crops being developed for their industrial and commercial potential. Bureau of Agricultural Statistics data, however, showed that the country produced 117,722 metric tonnes of potato in 2013, down 1.5% from 119,570 metric tonnes in 2012, and that potato output has been declining for three straight years since 2010.
The country’s top white potato-producing region is the Cordillera Autonomous Region, which cornered 85.59% of production in 2013, or 100,758 metric tonnes. The Philippines produced an average of 120,000 metric tonnes of white potatoes in a 2013 for local consumption. The current wholesale price of local potatoes is about USD 0.65 and the current retail price is USD 1.50 per kg.
