Durian fruit harvest floods Davao

Davao is again experiencing an oversupply of durian fruit this year after it experienced a drop in production last year.
The bountiful harvest has prompted the Durian Industry Council of Davao (DICD) to devise a scheme by which to move the fruit to Luzon and Visayas markets.
Candelario Miculob, members of the board of trustees of DICD and the Mindanao Fruit Industry Council (MFIC) said this year’s production has not yet surpassed that of 2007. The current supply will last for the next two months.
He recalled that with 2007’s figure of production farm gate price was pegged at P8 and sold in the market between P18 to P20 per kilo.
The prevailing farm gate price of durian is P18 per kilo and the fruit is sold at P30 a kilo and as high as P60 for the hybrid variety.
The Davao supply comes from Davao City, Kidapawan, Davao del Norte and Compostela Valley Province. However, other areas in Mindanao, like Bukidnon, are also starting to produce a good volume of the fruit.
He said based on their experience in the past five years, the durian season comes in late August, the month when Davao City celebrates the Kadayawan Festival which is a celebration of bountiful harvests and the rich culture and natural resources.
Miculob admitted that they had difficulty with their projection because they do not have the data and what they had been doing was simply based on their individual assessment of their own farm production.
He said it will really be of help if such data is available because they would be able to come up with projections as well as improve their business through marketing and distribution.
He said with specific information the DICD can also come up with programs and projects in which they could coordinate with the government in terms of assistance to small farm producers.
Right now he said they do marketing plan based on their field production and forecast is based on individual propagation.
The durian production in Thailand, he said is already an industry and 85 percent of their production is for local consumption and tourists while only 15 percent goes out to foreign markets.
Comparing this to Davao, the per capita consumption has picked up where most of the locals are already patronizing the fruit.
Meanwhile, he said what they are facing in this industry is the problem of distribution because production is concentrated in Mindanao while efforts are being done by individual planters who already have established markets.
He said they join exhibits and trade shows if only to get buyers in volume, either in Manila or Cebu.
He added that if they can move the fruit to other markets there will be no oversupply and this is where the farmers are benefited because it would mean higher prices even at farm gate.
Miculob said further that there is a need to improve durian production considering that a farm, if not properly cared for, is attacked by borers and fungi.
He said low farm maintenance will entail field losses of up to 20 percent.
On the other hand, the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) is assisting small and medium entrepreneurs by extending technical assistance as well as consultancy for them to improve their businesses.
DOST regional director for Davao Region Dr. Anthony Sales said their food processing assistance is an appropriate technology that would help address this concern because with the over supply for instance of the durian fruit, it can be processed into candies and jams and other related products.
Together with this assistance is also on packaging and label designing that will enhance the product bearing quality packaging and labels.