The Philippines is seen clinching $700 million worth of purchase agreements of fruits, including durian, from its participation at the China International Import Exposition (CIIE) being held until November 10 in Shanghai, China.
That is the target set by the government for the country’s Philippine Pavilion at the 6th CIIE, participated in by 20 companies of which four are small and medium in size.
In a press briefing yesterday, Ana Abejuela, agriculture counselor to the Embassy of the Philippines in Beijing, said on the first day of the CIIE alone, Philippine companies secured $600 million agreements for 2024 for bananas, durian, pineapple, banana chips and coconut.
Abejuela said banana is still the top import of China from the Philippines, but great opportunity for durian.
Benjamin Belviz from the Durian Industry Association of Davao in the same briefing said for the year, exports of fruits to China surged to more than 6,000 metric tons (MT), largely with the addition of durian, from 2,300 MT last year. The first shipment of durian to China was made in April 2022.
China imports 95 percent of durian from Thailand, valued at $4 billion in 2022.
According to Belviz, the country faces challenges in exporting durian to China.
“Unlike bananas which is led by multinational corporations, durian farming is mainly backyard and farmers are mostly small and medium. We have to change their mindset from subsistence to entrepreneurial farming,” Belviz said.
He added durian from the Philippines takes longer to reach China shores, about 10 to 14 days, compared to those from Vietnam and Malaysia which are nearer.
Abejuela also said the Philippines is also facing constraints in meeting the volume demanded by China.
“Under the DA’s production plan for 2024, we hope to expand the land planted to durian by 4,000 hectares,” she said. – Irma Isip