DAVAO CITY - The Department of Agriculture (DA) is devising programs that would groom durian as an export product as its demand is seen to be extensive in several foreign markets that are yet to be tapped. Leandro H. Gazmin, DA agribusiness and marketing assistance service director, said programs such as pest management and the promotion of organic production system are geared towards increasing the production of durian. During the Mindanao Fruit Industry Conference, Gazmin said DA is setting a target of increasing off-season production by 20 percent per year. They are also expecting a cut in post harvest losses by 10 percent as well as expanding the market by 10 percent a year to produce globally competitive processed products. At present, the country exports durian to major markets like Saudi Arabia, Japan, and United Arab Emirates, a data from the DA disclosed. Gazmin said there is also a huge demand for durian in Singapore, Hong Kong, China, Taiwan, United States, and Canada.
The country is also the fifth major supplier of durian to Saudi Arabia, lagging behind Bangladesh, Thailand, Sri Lanka, and India. The DA said Davao Region contributes 77 percent of the total production of durian in 2009, followed by the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM), Region 12, Caraga Region, Region 9, and Region 6. From 2005 to 2009, production volume and area increased by 8.05 percent and 8 percent, respectively.
