The Davao region is not just a producer of the smelly but delicious durian fruit, but it is also considered a top producer of pummelo or pomelo. It is thus a wonder that it is not included among the Top Ten Fruits produced by the region as shown in the list issued by the Bureau of Agricultural Statistics for the period 2008 to 2009.
Among the major fruit crops of the Davao region consisting of Davao City, Compostela Valley, Davao del Norte, Davao del Sur and Davao Oriental are banana, calamansi, mango, pineapple, durian, lanzones, mangosteen, papaya, rambutan, watermelon and mandarin.
BAI, however, pegged pomelo production in the region for the 2008 period at 15,824.49 metric tons, a .58% increase from the previous year’s production of 15,733.70 metric tons. While BAS does not have data for pomelo production in 2009, the 2008 data alone shows it is more than last year’s production of 2,137.94 metric tons of mandarin, 1,062.73 metric tons of watermelon, 1,985.27 metric tons of lanzones, 10,028.88 metric tons of calamansi and 408.63 metric tons of mangosteen.
Pomelo, also known as Citrus maxima or Citrus grandis or suha in the dialect, is actually one of the top “pasalubong” items from Davao City to Cebu, Manila and other parts of the country. Evidence of this is the continued existence of at least ten fruit stands along Ponciano Street–which is adjacent to the Quirino intersection where The Venue is located.
Those who grew up in Davao or frequented the city in the 80s consider these fruit stands as a familiar sight and perhaps among the landmarks of the city. Most of these establishments have been there for more than 20 years.
Take the case of 74-year old Rosario Villarta, who has been selling pomelo and other fruits along Ponciano Street since 1974.
“Mga 36 years na ko diri gabaligya ug prutas nagsugod lang sa laray-laray (I’ve been selling fruits here for 36 years already),” she said.
Like the other fruit stands in the area, Villarta’s store has a wide array of fruits like lanzones, mangosteen and durian. However, it is easy to see that the main commodity being sold here and in the other stores is pomelo.
“Mamaligya man mi kung unsa ang ma harvest namo sa farm pero dili gyud mi pwede mawad’an ug pomelo kay kani gyud ang kusog diri (we sell all types of fruits that we can harvest from the farm but pomelo will always be on display here since it is in demand),” she said.
Compared to 36 years ago when she sold pomelos here for only P25 per kilo, Villarta said the price of pomelo has now skyrocketed to P100 per kilo. The price remains almost constant, fluctuating only between P70 and P100 per kilo. They also sell plane-ready box of pomelo for P700, containing almost six kilos of pomelo.
Villarta owns a 40-hectare farm in Nabunturan and a 10-hectare farm in Catalunan Grande, but she admits that pomelos on display at her fruit stand now were bought from another farmer since there is no harvest yet on her farms.
Majority of the fruit stand owners here rent their spaces from the Villa-Abrilles who allowed them to do so for many years now. However, some of them lament over their decreasing profit, along with the increasing rental and high cost of fruits.
“Usahay malugi man mi pero gina maintain lang namo ang fruitstand para naa mi ka-displayan sa amoang produkto kung naa harvest (sometimes we do not even profit here but we maintain the store so we have some place to display our fruits during harvest time),” she said.
Pomelo production
A report from the Department of Agriculture shows that the Davao region is still the top producer of pomelo in the country with a production volume of 39%, higher by one percent compared to the Cagayan Valley region.
The region’s pomelo production could be higher if it were not for problems related to pests and diseases. To remedy this, the Southern Mindanao Agriculture and Resources Research and Development Consortium (SMARRDEC) came up with a program to boost the development of pomelo in the region.
SMARRDEC and the Philippine Council for Agriculture Forestry and Natural Resources Research and Development Consortium have identified other industry concerns, including high fertilizer cost, sour or bitter taste of pomelo, dry pulp bits and disease-free planting materials.
Pomelo is in fact one fruit which has a lot of uses from the outside to the inside. While the fruit pulp is the main reason why people buy pomelo, the peel is also very useful and can be turned into marmalade. The peel can also be used as flavoring.
Pomelos grow quite well in subtropical and tropical areas and will easily bear fruit in three years. There are different varieties of pomelos grown in Davao as sold by the Sungee and Dizon Farms.
This fruit has actually found more uses in the Dabawenyo cuisine than what was traditionally practised. Aside from being consumed raw, pomelos are now used in the preparation of juices and salads. But more than that, it is the fruit’s long shelf life which makes it an attractive “pasalubong” product. [Lovely A. Carillo]
