PH To Ship Durian To China In March

Malacañang announced that the Philippines would start exporting durian fruit to China starting in March, citing the Department of Agriculture-Bureau of Plant Industry (DA-BPI).

The Presidential Communications Office (PCO) said DA Assistant Secretary Arnel De Mesa told President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. the shipping schedule of durian to China during a meeting with Private Sector Advisory Council (PSAC) in Malacañang.

The durian trade was initiated by a state visit of Marcos to China last January.

The DA-BPI presented that an initial volume of 7,500 metric tons (MT) of durian is ready to be sent to China. The batches will come from 59 different farmers or producers of the fruit, covering some 400 hectares of production area.

“President Marcos’ China visit last month opened the country’s door for more Philippine fruit exports to Beijing as he cited the agricultural sector as ‘at the forefront’ of the post-pandemic economic recovery strategy,” the PCO said.

The President informed chief executive officers (CEO) from the agriculture sector in Beijing about the approval of exporting fresh Philippine durian, which will allow Chinese importers to source the fruit from the Philippines.

The PCO said Manila and Beijing agreed on the phytosanitary requirements protocol between the DA and China’s General Administration of Customs for durian exports.

During the state visit to China, the Marcos administration secured $2.09 billion in purchase intentions for Philippine fruit exports such as coconut and bananas, among others.

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President Marcos emphasized the economic potential of the agriculture sector and assured business leaders that durian growers, represented in the meeting by the Davao Durian Industry Association, “have long waited for this opportunity and are ready to meet the demands of the Chinese market.”

The PCO said the Davao region produces 78% of the durian grown in the country.

Moreover, total imports from Thailand reached up to $4 billion in 2021, more than triple the total Philippine agricultural exports to China in the same period.

Source: Inquirer.net