WITH a bountiful harvest, prices of durian, mangosteen, and other fruits tagged as “Kadayawan fruits” have continued to go down.
Based on the monitoring of SunStar Davao at Bankerohan Public Market, most durian varieties are now at P50 per kilogram (kg). The famed puyat variety is at P90/kg, which is P10 lower than last week’s price.
Mangosteen ranges from P35/kg to P40/kg compared to P40/kg to P50/kg last week; native lanzones are now at P50/kg; seedless lanzones at P80/kg; and rambutan is now at P25/kg to P35/kg.
Fruit vendor Emie Cabañero said she expects the price of mangosteen to go as low as P25/kg in the next few days.
Meanwhile, Davao Durian Industry Association Council (DIADC) secretary Manuel R. Villanueva said in a phone interview with SunStar Davao that durian production is expected to peak in the third week of August and the downtrend in prices will continue until the first week of September.
In line with the celebration of Kadayawan festival, the DIADC organized a month-long event dedicated to the “king of fruits” or durian from August 9 to September 9 at the Northwing Ground of SM Lanang Premier.
The group sells premium varieties of durian like puyat and D101 as low as P80/kg, while other varieties are sold at P50/kg.
“Actually mas barato pa ang among baligya sa SM at P80/kg bisan pa man sa renta sa lugar. Sa duration sa festival, pinaka-ubos na ma-offer namo sa durian is P60/kg for premium varieties like puyat, D101, and others (Actually, we offer durian at prices as low as P80/kg despite the rent we have to pay in the place. For the whole duration of the festival, we think we could offer as low as P60/kg for premium varieties like puyat, D101, and others),” Villanueva said.