Davao City-grown durian is securing an increasingly strong foothold in China as Maylong Enterprises Corporation scales up shipments of fresh and frozen fruit to major Chinese buyers, including China Resources Holdings Co. Ltd., one of the mainland’s largest state-backed conglomerates.
The company’s rapid expansion reflects a broader surge in market demand, strengthened diplomatic ties, and the growing confidence of Davao farmers who have long dreamed of consistent, large-scale international buyers.
On Thursday, October 30, 2025, Chinese Consul General Zhao Xiuzhen led a media tour of Maylong’s 14,000-square-meter processing facility in Barangay Ula, Tugbok District, alongside company chairman Meiman Li.
Zhao described China Resources, Maylong’s high-volume buyer, as “a very big company” and one of 514 state-owned enterprises in mainland China, underscoring the significance of the partnership for Philippine agriculture.
Shipments keep moving
On October 31, 2025, Maylong airfreighted 6,720 kilograms of fresh durian to China Resources Food Supply Chain Co., Ltd. in Foshan, Guangdong, including 595 boxes of Puyat priced at ¥18 per kilo and 77 boxes of Cob at ¥15 per kilo, valued at ¥118,650 (₱984,795), according to Maylong manager Retchie Tayco, in a WeChat interview with SunStar Davao.
A day earlier, on October 30, the company shipped 1,145 boxes of fresh Puyat and 139 boxes of Cob, weighing 12,968.40 kilograms and valued at ¥229,219.50 (₱1.9 million).
From January to October 2025, MEC exported 451,840 kilograms of fresh durian, while frozen shipments reached 325,440 kilograms. Sister firm 888 MML Corp. moved another 183,144 kilograms of frozen durian.
Frozen exports have proven especially lucrative. On September 25, the company exported over 54,000 kilograms of frozen durian products, including Class A meat at ¥48/kg, Class B at ¥35/kg, plus paste and other forms, worth ¥2.12 million (₱17.56 million).
Admin staffer Jisril Rabe said the company currently ships 25,000–30,000 kilograms weekly.
The process
Inside Maylong’s facility, workers sorted and weighed newly harvested fruit before classifying each into A, B, C, and D grades. Only Class A durian undergoes brushing, cleaning, drying (usually takes 10 to 12 hours), Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI) sampling, and packaging for fresh export.
Lower-grade fruit is redirected to processing lines, where food-safe teams pack durian meat before freezing.
Drying the durian, according to Admin staff Jisril Rab, is crucial. “Dili madaut ang durian (The durian will not spoil),” Rabe said. “Before timbang, naka-dry na daan. We observe about five percent weight loss per day (Before weighing, it is already pre-dried. We observe about a five percent weight loss per day).”
Maylong coordinates closely with the Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI) for quarantine sampling before export.
“We have to make sure walay insects or anomalies before we send durian to China. Quality gyud pag-abot didto (We have to make sure there are no insects or anomalies before we send the durian to China. The quality must still be good when it arrives there),” Rabe added.
Only fruits harvested within five days are accepted as fresh; anything older than six days is redirected for processing.
Jack Campania, an Admin staff, added that assorted varieties spoil faster, while Puyat can last up to four days before sorting.
The company handles Puyat, Cob, Duyaya, D101, and Lacson, among other varieties. Rabe noted that demand from China remains strong. Output typically peaks in July–August, with slower growth and supply in other months.
Jobs and community support
The plant employs under 100 workers during the low season and up to 300 during peak harvest, many from Tugbok, Calinan, and nearby areas.
Admin staffer Jack Campania, who joined during the pandemic and also worked with Maylong’s sister firm, said many households rely on the company for income.
“Daghan kaayo natabangan sa company (The company has helped so many),” she said.
‘‘For the farmers’
Li said the company began operations in 2014 and weathered multiple challenges, including the pandemic and earlier rental site closures in Tibungco.
She said the newly-built facility in Barangay Ula allows farmers “a place to rest,” as many previously waited two to three days just to deliver produce.
“Our philosophy is to create greater benefits for farmers,” Li said in Chinese. “We hope to export more durian and other fruits to China to grow the fruit industry.”
A diplomat turns durian believer
Consul General Zhao told farmers that she once disliked durian. In Beijing, she recalled, durian was expensive — a luxury families occasionally shared.
“But when I tried Davao durian, it was so sweet, so delicious. I was amazed,” she said. “From then on, I became a durian enthusiast. I stock frozen Davao durian so I can eat it anytime.”
Zhao said she now proudly promotes Philippine durian in China.
“I told staff in Beijing, ‘These are from Davao! Natural and incredibly sweet!’” she said, calling the booming trade an example of how “China-Philippines durian cooperation benefits both nations.”
She encouraged farmers to share their hopes for continued collaboration. “Your voices matter. This will be a community; we are connected, mutually dependent. We will share a common future.”
Durian breakthrough
Earlier this year, MEC became the first Filipino firm accredited by China’s General Administration of Customs (GACC) to export frozen durian meat and paste.
On Feb. 11, 2025, it shipped 1,350 boxes worth ₱8.2 million to Nansha District, Guangzhou, backed by phytosanitary certificates W 473547 and W 473548.
Agriculture officials hailed the milestone as a boost for farmers and the industry. The Philippines earlier exported 28 MT of fresh durian to China in April 2023, helping reinforce its reputation as a reliable supplier.
The Philippines is now the world’s fourth-largest durian exporter, with China taking 89 percent of outbound volume.
Brighter prospects
Farmers expressed optimism that growing Chinese demand will sustain buying even in off-peak months. Maylong said it also buys lower-grade fruit to ensure farmers still earn.
“Paningkamutan na mabalik sa farmers katong mga alanganin (We make sure that any fruits that don’t meet standards are returned to the farmers),” Rabe said. “We process them separately.”
The company currently ships 25,000–30,000 kilograms weekly.
As more fruit leaves Mindanao for China’s dining tables, workers and farmers remain hopeful.
“Sa demand, walay limit (In terms of demand, there’s no limit),” a staff member said. “Mas daghan, mas maayo (The more durian farmers bring to us, the better).”
With a widening export market and strengthened diplomatic ties, Davao City’s durian industry continues to push its signature sweetness to the global stage and back into the pockets of the farmers who grow it. MLSA