Philippines agri-startups want a taste of Taiwan market

MANILA, Philippines — Ten local agri-startups and micro-agripreneurs are pushing to gain a footing in the Taiwanese market and expand international buyers and investors for their products and technologies, the Department of Agriculture (DA) said.

The local agri-startups are looking to secure better market access investment, technology partnerships and opportunities to scale for their homegrown innovations during the Taiwan Smart Agriweek 2026 in Taipei.

The country’s participation in the event provides emerging enterprises direct exposure to Taiwan’s business and innovation ecosystem, enabling them to test market interest, gather feedback, build commercial leads and pursue partnerships.

The agency said four of the 10 participants were among the top 40 finalists in the Global Agrifood Innovation Championship, selected from hundreds of applicants.

These include PHYTOSPHERE Agro-Biotech Processing Enterprise, which develops botanical pesticides and agricultural inputs and WamPLVS+, which turns watermelon peels and rinds into a natural preservative and additive.

Other finalists are Farmyra Technologies Corp., which uses automation and data analytics for smarter farming and PETROTECHS, whose MusselFlex device and digital platform seek to reduce manual labor while connecting producers with buyers and market information.

The delegation also includes Mira’s Food and Agriventure Inc., Bluecrust Processed Food Manufacturing, Eco-Pure Cleaning Solutions, Jeepney Republic TW, Ferncrest Dairy Farm and Kuya Bs Mushroom Products.

Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. said the participation of Philippine agricultural enterprises in international markets would allow promising businesses to move beyond the domestic market and attract the capital and partnerships needed to grow.

“Bringing our agri-startups to Taiwan and other international markets opens doors to investment, technology, exports and commercial partnerships,” Tiu Laurel said.

“These opportunities can help promising Filipino enterprises scale while creating more value and opportunities for our farmers, entrepreneurs and workers,” he added.

For her part, DA Assistant Secretary Genevieve Velicaria-Guevarra said the initiative aims to open commercial pathways for Filipino agricultural innovation while broadening opportunities across the value chain.

“May this platform serve as another bridge for agricultural cooperation between Manila and Taipei, connecting Filipino agricultural innovation with investment, Philippine products with international markets and our farmers, entrepreneurs and workers with greater opportunities across the agricultural value chain,” Guevarra added.

The event was organized by the DA–Agribusiness and Marketing Assistance Service with the Manila Economic and Cultural Office and Philippine Trade and Investment Center –Taipei.

A Philippines–Taiwan Investment Forum is also giving the participating enterprises an opportunity to pitch directly to Taiwan importers, investors, industry groups, startups and business leaders.

The forum is focused on potential investments, market access, technology cooperation and commercial partnerships.

PTIC–Taipei trade representative Anthony Rivera said the engagement generated new trade leads from Taiwanese importers interested in Philippine products, as well as potential cooperation in smart agriculture, technology and investment.

The overseas push is about more than displaying start-up products. International exposure can help them validate demand, refine their offerings, secure commercial partners and find capital to expand.

For the DA, the broader objective is to turn promising agricultural innovations into scalable businesses that can compete internationally while creating new markets and investment opportunities for Philippine agriculture.