THE Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI) said on Tuesday that a China durian export agreement is expected to generate $150 million this year from the 50,000-metric ton order.
“We are expecting about $150 million from our initial export of (fresh) durian this year. Of course, this depends on our good production and compliance with the requirements of the government of China,” BPI Officer-in-Charge Director Gerald Glenn F. Panganiban said at a Laging Handa briefing.
He said the target is to generate around P240 million, but the final value will be determined by whether durian farmers can meet the volume requirements. He expects farms to expand to service Chinese demand.
According to Mr. Panganiban, the BPI has endorsed 59 registered farms, five licensed packing facilities, and five licensed exporters for the China trade and expects more to become compliant.
“We don’t have limit on exports. As the durian exporters have said, the Chinese market is undersupplied relative to demand,” he said.
Apart from durian, Philippine agricultural exports to China include banana, mango, avocado, young coconut, cocoa, coffee, okra and asparagus.
The Philippines has been exporting fresh durian to Hong Kong, Japan, Malaysia, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Thailand, the United Arab Emirates, and Vietnam. — Sheldeen Joy Talavera