Philippines to expand durian production following $260-M export deal with Chinese firms

The Department of Agriculture (DA) will expand the country’s production of durian after President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. secured a fruit export deal in China during his state visit earlier this month.

In a statement on Thursday, the DA said Chinese companies including the Dole (Shanghai) Fruits and Vegetables Trading Co., Ltd./Dole China, Prestige International Co., Ltd., Shanghai Goodfarmer Group, and the Dashang Group made purchase commitments worth $260 million for 2023.

"One of the focal points of the discussion is the durian imports by China all over the world. We are pinpointed as one of the sources that China would like to avail from, and they have allocated $260 million initially to start off the project from the Philippines," said DA Senior Undersecretary Domingo Panganiban.

"We hope and anticipate that this will be a major breakthrough that we should avail of, and [we] hope that we should be able to maintain a good relationship with China in the long run," he added.

Panganiban directed the Regional Executive Directors (REDs) and the Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI) to immediately identify the potential areas for expansion and formulate the necessary work and financial plans to sustain the durian export.

The DA said that its Regional Field Offices (RFOs) will also conduct capacity-building activities, ensure the production of market-preferred varieties, develop packing houses, and assist in marketing in coordination with the BPI and the High Value Crops Development Program (HVCDP).

The Agriculture Department said that on January 4, 2023, the Philippines and China signed the "Protocol of the Phytosanitary Requirements for Export of Fresh Durians from the Philippines to China," which opens up the Chinese market for 50,000 metric tons of fresh durian.

Initially, the DA said, the durian will be exported from the list of registered farms in the major durian production areas of Davao City, Davao del Sur, and North Cotabato.

Moreover, the project is expected to generate at least 10,000 direct and indirect jobs. —VBL, GMA Integrated News