A Davao-based food processor is taking locally grown saba bananas to the international market, with its first trial shipment bound for Sydney, Australia, creating a new overseas market for farmers in upland Marilog District, Davao City.
Golden Flavours Pastries and Gourmet Inc. held a send-off ceremony Tuesday for about seven tons of steamed saba, scheduled for shipment to Sydney on September 27.
According to Golden Flavours, the export marks the company’s first entry into the international market and establishes a direct link between banana growers in Marilog and consumers overseas.
Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA) Assistant Secretary Romeo Montenegro said the shipment demonstrates how local agriculture can move beyond traditional markets through processing and value-adding.
“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,” Montenegro said.
He said the initiative could help small producers meet the volume and quality requirements of bigger markets while allowing them to earn more from their products.
“We commend Golden Flavours for this endeavor, and for helping small producers achieve the volume, quality, and value-adding required by larger markets. 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,” he added.
Golden Flavours CEO Razel Ann Suy Tan said the company sources its saba locally and works with farmers in upland Marilog.
She said the initial shipment is being treated as a trial run as the company tests the Australian market for its steamed saba product.
“So this is our first shipment trial. So we’re hoping that it will push through the market there in Australia,” Tan said.
She said the company is tentatively planning another shipment to Australia next month, depending on the response to the initial consignment.
She also said Golden Flavours is also exploring other agricultural products that could be processed and exported, potentially giving local producers additional markets for their harvest.
Department of Agriculture 11 said the shipment also carries a cultural dimension by bringing a familiar Filipino product closer to Filipinos living abroad.
DA 11 Regional Technical Director for Operations Marie Ann M. Constantino said the export could allow overseas Filipinos to reconnect with locally produced food.
“So makakarating po ito sa ating mga kababayan Pilipino po, yan po ang pinakapunto namin na nagre-request na sana po ang ating produkto makakarating sa kanila at matikman ulit nila ano yung tikim Pilipino po,” Constantino said.
The initiative reflects the growing push to process agricultural products before they reach consumers, allowing farmers and processors to capture more value from local produce.
