A.    Total Agricultural Trade

1.    Total agricultural trade increased by 10.6 percent

The country’s total agricultural trade in March 2025, which amounted to USD 2.32 billion, posted an annual increase of 10.6 percent. In February 2025, the total agricultural trade recorded an annual increase of 20.2 percent, while an annual decrease of 8.5 percent was registered in March 2024. 

In March 2025, the total agricultural exports was recorded at USD 715.76 million or 30.8 percent share to the total agricultural trade, while agricultural imports accounted for USD 1.60 billion or 69.2 percent of the total agricultural trade. (Figure 1, and Tables A and 1)

2.    Agricultural trade balance increased by 2.0 percent

In March 2025, the total balance of trade in agricultural goods was recorded at USD -889.15 million, which reflects a deficit with an annual increment of 2.0 percent. In February 2025, the trade deficit registered an annual increase of 17.0 percent, while an annual decrease of 18.7 percent was recorded in March 2024. (Tables A and 1) 

B.    Agricultural Exports

1.    Agricultural exports grew by 16.7 percent

The country’s agricultural export revenue increased to USD 715.76 million in March 2025. This indicates an annual increment of 16.7 percent from the USD 613.26 million agricultural export revenue in March 2024. The March 2025 value of agricultural exports accounted for 10.9 percent of the country’s total exports. (Figure 2, and Tables A and 1)

2.    Animal, vegetable, or microbial fats and oils and their cleavage products; prepared edible fats; animal or vegetable waxes commodity group accounted for the largest share to the total agricultural exports

The top 10 commodity groups in terms of value of agricultural exports contributed USD 694.22 million or 97.0 percent to the total agricultural export revenue in March 2025. The combined agricultural export value of these top 10 commodity groups posted an annual increase of 17.8 percent during the month.

Among the commodity groups, animal, vegetable, or microbial fats and oils and their cleavage products; prepared edible fats; animal or vegetable waxes, which was valued at USD 249.13 million, comprised the largest share of 34.8 percent to the total agricultural exports in March 2025. (Figure 3 and Table 3)
 

3.    Indonesia led as a trading partner in agricultural exports among Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) member countries

The country’s agricultural exports to ASEAN member countries in March 2025 amounted to USD 78.02 million, which accounted for 8.6 percent of the total value of exports to ASEAN member countries. Among the ASEAN member countries, Indonesia was the top buyer of agricultural exports worth USD 24.90 million or a share of 31.9 percent to the total value of agricultural exports to ASEAN member countries in March 2025. (Figure 4 and Table 7)
 

4.    Animal, vegetable, or microbial fats and oils and their cleavage products; prepared edible fats; animal or vegetable waxes commodity group was the top agricultural exports to ASEAN member countries

The top three major agricultural commodities exported to ASEAN member countries in March 2025 were:

a.    animal, vegetable, or microbial fats and oils and their cleavage products; prepared edible fats; animal or vegetable waxes, USD 32.67 million; 
b.    tobacco and manufactured tobacco substitutes; products, whether or not containing nicotine, intended for inhalation without combustion; other nicotine containing products intended for the intake of nicotine into the human body, USD 19.94 million; and 
c.    cocoa and cocoa preparations, USD 4.73 million. (Table 7)

5.    Netherlands was the country’s major trading partner in the exports of agricultural goods among European Union (EU) member countries

Exports of agricultural goods to EU member countries in March 2025 reached USD 137.00 million, which contributed 18.9 percent to the country’s total value of exports to EU member countries.

Among the EU member countries, Netherlands was the country’s top destination of agricultural commodities worth USD 77.58 million or 56.6 percent of the total agricultural exports to EU member countries in March 2025. (Figure 5 and Table 9)
 

6.    Animal, vegetable, or microbial fats and oils and their cleavage products; prepared edible fats; animal or vegetable waxes commodity group was the top agricultural exports to EU member countries

The top three major agricultural commodities exported to EU member countries in March 2025 were:

a.    animal, vegetable, or microbial fats and oils and their cleavage products; prepared edible fats; animal or vegetable waxes, USD 86.75 million;
b.    preparations of meat, of fish, of crustaceans, molluscs or other aquatic invertebrates or of insects, USD 19.33 million; and
c.    preparations of vegetables, fruit, nuts or other parts of plants, USD 9.43 million. (Table 9)

C.    Agricultural Imports

1.    Agricultural imports grew annually by 8.0 percent

The total agricultural imports was valued at USD 1.60 billion, representing 15.0 percent share to the country’s total imports in March 2025. It registered an increase of 8.0 percent from the USD 1.49 billion worth of agricultural imports in March 2024. (Figure 6, and Tables A and 1)

2.    Cereals commodity group accounted for the highest value of agricultural imports

The top 10 commodity groups in terms of value of agricultural imports amounted to USD 1.33 billion or 82.8 percent of the total agricultural import revenue in March 2025. The combined agricultural import value of these top 10 commodity groups posted an annual increase of 3.8 percent in March 2025 relative to its value in the same month of 2024.

Among the major commodity groups, cereals accounted for the largest share worth USD 290.64 million or 18.1 percent of the total value of agricultural imports in March 2025. (Figure 7 and Table 5)

3.    Vietnam reported the highest agricultural import value among ASEAN member countries

The country’s agricultural imports from ASEAN member countries in March 2025 amounted to USD 721.16 million or 24.2 percent of the country’s total imports from ASEAN member countries. In terms of value, Vietnam was the leading supplier of agricultural products to the Philippines among ASEAN member countries. It contributed USD 229.11 million or 31.8 percent to the country’s total value of agricultural imports from ASEAN member countries in March 2025. (Figure 8 and Table 8)

4.    Animal, vegetable, or microbial fats and oils and their cleavage products; prepared edible fats; animal or vegetable waxes was the top imported agricultural commodity group from ASEAN member countries

The top three imported agricultural goods from ASEAN member countries in March 2025 were:

a.    animal, vegetable, or microbial fats and oils and their cleavage products; prepared edible fats; animal or vegetable waxes, USD 173.84 million;
b.    cereals, USD 171.99 million; and
c.    miscellaneous edible preparations, USD 146.03 million. (Table 8)

5.    Spain led EU member countries in agricultural imports

The country’s agricultural imports from EU member countries amounted to USD 120.89 million or a share of 17.3 percent to the total value of imports from EU member countries in March 2025. Among EU member countries, Spain was the country’s top supplier of agricultural commodities with an import value of USD 26.55 million or a share of 22.0 percent to the country’s total value of agricultural imports from EU member countries. (Figure 9 and Table 10)

 

6.    Meat and edible meat offal commodity group topped agricultural imports from EU member countries

The top three agricultural commodities imported from EU member countries in March 2025 were:

a.    meat and edible meat offal, USD 36.24 million;
b.    dairy produce; birds' eggs; natural honey; edible products of animal origin, not elsewhere specified or included, USD 27.64 million; and
c.    residues and waste from the food industries; prepared animal fodder, USD 14.89 million. (Table 10)

DIVINA GRACIA L. DEL PRADO, PhD
Assistant Secretary
Deputy National Statistician
Sectoral Statistics Office