Philippines Aims To Expand Davao Durian Plantations by 15,000 Hectares

According to a report in the Philippine media, the scale of durian cultivation in the Davao Region, the country’s main durian-growing area, will need to be expanded in coming years to fully exploit international trade opportunities. That is the view of Emmanuel Belviz, president of the Durian Industry Association of Davao City, who remarked that the association is targeting 15,000 hectares of expansion over the next five years. Data from the Philippine Statistics Authority indicate that the cultivated area for durians in Davao was only 8,179 hectares in 2021, with 884,567 fruit-bearing trees.

The Davao office of the Philippine Department of Agriculture has also recently said that the Durian Plantation Expansion Plan will be one of the priorities of its forthcoming five-year development agenda, which covers the period from 2024 to 2029. The plan, with an estimated investment of 180 million Philippine pesos ($3.16 million), includes the distribution of Puyat durian seedlings to Davao growers alongside efforts to assist them in enhancing their durian production.

Belviz noted that negotiations concerning durian exports are underway with several countries and regions, including Australia, Japan, South Korea, the United States and the European Union. Exploratory talks have also begun with some Middle Eastern countries and Pakistan. In addition, the association is hoping to ship durians to Kazakhstan via Chinese ports.

The Philippines exports multiple varieties of durians, such as Puyat, D101, Duyaya and certain Malaysian cultivars. In January 2023, China’s General Administration of Customs issued a notice outlining the phytosanitary requirements for fresh durians from the Philippines. On April 6, the Davao office of the Department of Agriculture collaborated with the Durian Industry Association of Davao City to successfully arrange the inaugural shipment of Philippine durians to China.

Image: Pixabay

This article was translated from Chinese. Read the original article.