FRESH durian from Davao Region will be permitted for import to China this year, Chinese Ambassador Huang Xilian confirmed in a statement.
Xilian said that durians from Davao will soon be available in the Chinese market after passing the assessment conducted by a team of experts organized by the Chinese Embassy.
He said the team went to the region and made a market access investigation on the exports of fresh durian from the Philippines to China.
"They successfully completed the risk assessment of the orchard harvesting, fruit packaging, pest monitoring, chemical control, [C]ovid-19 prevention, and traceability system of durian in this area," the ambassador said.
"It is expected that fresh durian from Davao will be permitted for import into China as soon as this year," he added.
China, a major durian consumer, has imported at least 822,000 tons of fruits worth $4.21 billion in 2021, up by 82.4 percent from the previous year.
"Durian from Davao region is high in quality and good in taste. It is expected to win the hearts of Chinese durian lovers," Huang said.
"As one of the most lucrative agricultural products, the entry of high-quality fresh durian from the Philippines into China with a population of 1.4 billion will benefit hundreds of thousands of Philippine fruit farmers and greatly increase the income of local growers in the Mindanao area" he added.
As trade relations grow between the two nations, Huang expects more fruits and agricultural products to be imported from the Philippines.