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A DURIAN can travel thousands of kilometers and still lose its value before it reaches the consumer.
For Davao exporters, the challenge is no longer simply getting Philippine durian into China. It is making sure the fruit arrives looking, tasting, and performing the way buyers expect — shipment after shipment.
That challenge is becoming more urgent as Thailand and Vietnam strengthen their positions in China’s durian market.
The scale of Thailand’s trade alone shows what Philippine exporters face.
From Jan. 1 to July 19, 2026, Thailand shipped 1,000,763.66 metric tons of fresh durian to China, exceeding its one-million-ton target ahead of schedule. The shipments were worth more than 114.82 billion baht, or about P215.4 billion, based on the Sept. 24, 2026 exchange rate.
Thailand’s durian production was also estimated to have increased by about 30 percent in 2026.
The figures are not directly comparable with the Philippines’ nine-month export data. The Thai figure covers fresh durian shipped specifically to China, while the Philippine figure includes fresh and frozen durian shipped to all markets.
Still, the contrast shows the scale of the Chinese market and the strength of the competition.
The Philippines recorded 9,483.37 metric tons of durian exports from January to September 2026, including 6,345.81 metric tons of fresh durian and 3,137.56 metric tons of frozen durian, according to figures presented by Emmanuel Belviz, president of the Durian Industry Association of Davao City, during the recently concluded 28th Davao Agri Trade Expo at the SMX Convention Center Davao.
The numbers point to a simple reality: Philippine durian cannot rely on market access alone.
It has to give buyers a reason to choose it.
Quality opens the door
For Retchie Tayco, manager of Maylong Enterprises Corp., which exports Davao durian to China Resources Holdings Co. Ltd., Chinese buyers have become more particular about what reaches them.
Tayco said exporters must meet expectations for appearance as well as quality.
“Kinahanglan gyud walay salbo, gwapa ang tunok, kinahanglang presentable gyud siya tan-awon ba (It really needs to have no defects. The thorns should look good. It has to be presentable),” Tayco said in a WeChat interview with SunStar Davao.
That may sound like a simple requirement, but it can be complicated for Philippine durian because varieties differ.
Tayco said Chinese consumers are not always familiar with Philippine durian, particularly the way some local varieties indicate ripeness.
“Muadto ko’g China, dili kaayo sila familiar. Toktokon nimo, dili sila kabalo sa sound (When I go to China, they are not very familiar with it. They tap it, but they don’t know the sound),” he shared.
Puyat, one of the premium varieties grown by Davao farmers, behaves differently from varieties such as Thailand’s Monthong.
“Ang Puyat gahi abrihon, dili pud muliki (Puyat is hard to open and it does not split open),” Tayco said.
That characteristic can become a marketing challenge when buyers are accustomed to varieties whose physical changes make maturity easier to recognize.
When good fruit looks bad
Tayco said color can create another problem.
As the fruit matures, portions of its skin may darken depending on sun exposure and whether leaves shade the fruit.
To a farmer familiar with Davao durian, that variation may be normal. To an unfamiliar buyer, it can look like damage.
“Mulagom, lahi na ang panan-aw. Abi nila damage na. (When it darkens, it looks different. They may think it is already damaged),” Tayco said.
That makes appearance part of the export equation.
A fruit can have excellent flavor and still struggle if the buyer questions its maturity, shelf life, or visual quality. And those judgments are increasingly being made in a market where buyers have alternatives.
Vietnam raises the bar
Vietnam’s experience shows how quickly the competitive standard can rise.
Vietnam’s fruit and vegetable exports reached US$6.151 billion, or about P386 billion, in the first eight months of 2026, up 27.7 percent from the same period in 2025, according to a Sept. 22 report by Tạp chí Thị trường Tài chính Tiền tệ (Financial & Monetary Market Review).
China remained its largest fruit and vegetable market, with exports approaching US$4 billion, or about P251 billion, during the period.
Durian accounted for about 40 percent of Vietnam’s fruit and vegetable export value, with exports approaching US$3 billion, or about P188 billion, in the first nine months of 2026, the report said.
Vietnam’s industry is now focusing not only on production but also on quality, residue controls, traceability and registered growing-area codes.
Those requirements increasingly determine whether fruit can enter demanding overseas markets.
That is the environment Philippine durian is entering.
China’s door may be open, but access by itself does not guarantee a durable market position.
Thailand adds value
Thailand’s strategy also goes beyond volume.
After fresh durian exports to China crossed the one-million-ton mark, its Commerce Ministry said it would promote supplies from southern Thailand and encourage processed durian products to add value and create more marketing options.
That approach has a parallel in Davao.
At Maylong Enterprises, fresh durian is processed into frozen durian meat for export, giving the fruit another route to overseas markets.
The frozen market matters because not every fruit will meet the requirements of the fresh market. Fruit that varies in size or appearance can potentially be directed toward processing instead of being left without a buyer.
The goal is to extract value from more of the harvest.
Belviz: Compete on more
For Belviz, stronger competition from abroad means Philippine durian must offer buyers more than a low price.
“We cannot compete on price alone. We have to compete through quality, reliable supply, and a strong Philippine Durian brand.”
That means improving the product long before it reaches an export warehouse.
Belviz said farmers need to improve how they grow, harvest, and handle their durian. That includes following good agricultural practices, caring for soil and trees, harvesting at the right maturity, and handling fruit properly after harvest.
The industry also needs to work together to provide buyers with dependable quantity and quality.
A buyer may accept an unfamiliar variety once.
Building a market requires the buyer to want it again.
Building a Philippine identity
Belviz also sees branding as part of the industry’s competitive strategy.
The Philippines should promote what makes its durian distinct — its varieties, flavor and the people and places behind the fruit.
A clear Philippine durian identity, he said, can help buyers recognize and trust the fruit in both local and international markets.
That means moving beyond selling durian simply as another commodity.
Davao may already be synonymous with Philippine durian at home. But recognition at home does not automatically translate into recognition abroad.
The fruit has to build its own identity in the minds of consumers and buyers.
From farm to export
For that identity to mean something in the marketplace, the fruit must consistently meet export requirements.
Belviz said the government should help farmers improve their farms and meet the requirements for Philippine Good Agricultural Practices, or PhilGAP, accreditation, through training, technical assistance and support with the accreditation process.
Exporters, he said, should prioritize sourcing from PhilGAP-accredited farms and work with farmers to establish a consistent and dependable supply.
Tayco said government agencies have conducted seminars on proper handling and agricultural practices, while farmers continue to receive guidance on inputs and production.
But he also pointed to a distinctly Davao challenge: the age and height of many traditional durian trees.
“Ang ato mga centennial na atong mga punuan. Wala gyuy maingon nga farm nga gituyo gyud og tanom. Gani, kasagaran sa atong farm naa pay cacao, saging, kape (Our trees include centennial ones. Our farms were not necessarily established as purpose-built plantations. In fact, most of our farms also have cacao, bananas and coffee),” Tayco said.
Tayco contrasted those older, mixed-crop farms with commercial durian plantations in Thailand.
“Sa Thailand makita nimo ngadto pila ka hektarya, puro ra gyud durian (In Thailand, you can see several hectares planted entirely with durian),” he said.
He said many Davao trees are tall and mature, while commercial plantations in Thailand tend to have younger, shorter trees.
That difference matters after harvest.
Fruit falling from taller trees can suffer bruising or other impact damage, creating problems before it even reaches the packing area. Shorter trees reduce the distance the fruit falls and the potential for impact damage.
For Davao, the challenge is therefore not simply growing good fruit.
It is protecting that quality from the tree to the export box.
A race against time
Every additional step between the farm and the Chinese consumer creates another opportunity for quality to deteriorate.
Harvest too early, and the fruit may not develop its full eating quality. Harvest too late, and shelf life can become a problem. Handle it roughly, and bruising can reduce its value. Delay shipment, and the fruit has less time to reach the consumer in good condition.
That is why Belviz’s message is ultimately about more than production.
The industry needs quality, reliable supply, proper farm practices, traceability, and a recognizable Philippine durian brand.
Government, farmers, exporters, and processors all have a role.
The goal is to make Philippine durian more than a fruit that can enter China.
It must become a fruit that buyers recognize, trust, and seek out.
The next battle will not be won by the country that simply grows more durian. It will be won by the industry that can make every shipment give buyers a reason to come back. MLSA