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Philippine durians are on their way to the Chinese market after the first batch consisting of 28 tons of the aromatic fruit was shipped to China on April 6
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A separate shipment of 28 tons of the fruit was sent to China via airfreight, while 10 containers loaded with a total 7.2 tons was shipped by sea on April 8
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The first shipment was sourced from producers and processors in Mindanao
The Philippines started exporting fresh durians to China this month with the first batch shipped on April 6, according to the Department of Agriculture (DA).
The first batch of 28 tons of the pungent fruit was sourced from durian growers and processors in Mindanao, particularly in Region XI. These exporters have passed the stringent requirements of the General Administration of Customs of China (GACC).
The durian shipment was airlifted from Davao International Airport. Another 28 tons of the fruit was shipped via airfreight, while 10 containers loaded with a total 7.2 tons were transported by sea on April 8, DA said in a statement.
Before the first batch of durians was exported, the GACC released the list of qualified facilities and farms that received the “green light” to export the fruit. This consists of five packaging facilities and 58 durian farms.
The shipment comes after the DA and GACC signed on January 4, 2023 a protocol of phytosanitary requirements for the export of fresh durians from the Philippines to China.
RELATED READ: Protocol signed for PH durian exports to China
The Bureau of Plant Industry also assisted in the accreditation and certification of the industry players by the Philippine Agriculture Good Practices.
The deal is expected to bring in US$260 million or P14.3 billion of revenue for the local durian industry.
China, the biggest durian consumer, imported 822,000 tons of the fruit worth US$4.21 billion in 2021, an increase of 82.4% over the previous year.
In the first half of 2022, China’s durian imports increased by another 60%, making it the most imported fruit in the Chinese market.
