The Philippines and Japan have reaffirmed their commitment to deepening agricultural cooperation, following a high-level meeting between Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. and Japanese Minister for Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Shinjiro Koizumi on the sidelines of the 47th ASEAN Agriculture and Forestry Ministers Meeting.

The bilateral talks focused on expanding Philippine agricultural exports to Japan, particularly pomelo and fresh bananas. Secretary Tiu Laurel reiterated the Philippines’ long-standing appeal to eliminate tariffs on fresh bananas, which currently face duties of up to 18 percent. Despite being Japan’s top banana supplier, the Philippines’ market share dropped from 94% in 2023 to 75% in 2024.

Japan, the Philippines’ second-largest importer of agricultural and fishery products in 2024—with purchases exceeding USD 1 billion—also expressed interest in exporting fresh grapes to the Philippine market. Koizumi confirmed that Japan submitted pest risk assessments and technical documents to the Bureau of Plant Industry.

Beyond trade, both countries are expanding cooperation in agricultural modernization and sustainability. Tiu Laurel proposed extending the Philippines-Japan Memorandum of Cooperation to include fisheries and smart agriculture, covering areas such as postharvest technology, mechanization, diagnostic laboratory upgrades, and pest management.

The meeting also tackled climate initiatives, including Japan’s proposal to implement the Joint Crediting Mechanism using Alternate Wetting and Drying (AWD) technology for rice farming—potentially the world’s first bilateral carbon credit program in agriculture.

Japan invited the Philippines to participate in GREEN EXPO 2027 in Yokohama, an international horticulture exhibition. Tiu Laurel welcomed the invitation, citing growing private sector interest in floriculture and high-value crop exports.

As both nations prepare to mark the 70th anniversary of diplomatic relations in 2026, the meeting underscored a shared commitment to sustainable agriculture, innovation, and deeper bilateral engagement.