City eyes export of durian to US, European countries

THE City Government of Davao is looking at the possibility of exporting the city's popular native fruit durian to Europe and United States of America (USA).

Leonardo Avila III, City Agriculturist Office (CAO) officer-in-charge, said the varied products of durian, be it processed or fresh, can enter the global market just like the city's other agricultural crops.

He said a whole durian and processed durian products, including candies and dried durian, are just some Davao-manufactured goods that can go into the global market, especially in Europe and USA.

"In the US, we saw some vendors selling whole durian, but they all came from Thailand. If they can do it, why can't we do it?" Avila said.

He said that entering the global market is more favorable on the part of Davao's durian growers since they can supply huge amount of these fruits some time in third and fourth quarters, unlike in Thailand where durian trees bear fruits only during summer period.

"It's just a matter of period," Avila said, adding that production of durian started July to September.

The highest production of durian in Davao City was recorded last year with around 36,000 tons, but Avila said this abundance was not managed well, which pulled down the prices of durian in the local market.

"This time, we're going to market it well," Avila said.

He also announced that the city will come up with the first-ever Durian Congress in the last quarter of 2012 wherein more elaborated details on the exportation of durian will be discussed, including the volume of durian to be exported.

Avila said the objective of the event is to promote durian as a good business.

"Most of all, it's marketing. We will sit down and discuss the marketing of durian because in the country, we have the highest production of durian," Avila said.

Avila added that the Durian Congress will benefit more than 2,500 durian farmers in the city as they will update them with recent diseases of durian and capacitate them on how to address certain diseases through latest research findings and studies.