- Lesser volume for the King of Fruits expected for Kadayawan
THE CITY Agriculturist Office projected fewer harvests for durian in Davao City for this year’s Kadayawan Festival.
During the iSpeak forum on Thursday, July 30, Fe Oguio, City Agriculturist Office durian focal person, said, “We expect that it won’t flood the market at the same time (Kadayawan). The buying cost is quite pricey now.”
Presently, the farmgate price for durian, specifically Puyat, is priced at P100 per kilo, while other varieties range from P60 to P80. The price is expected to double when it reaches end consumers.
Oguio emphasized that while the supply will not peak in August, the harvesting season will last until March of next year.
“The prolonged harvest is associated with the elevation range of the durian farms, which means the harvest will not be at the same time,” she added.
Oguio said the lesser supply of durian this season can be attributed to the crop removal brought about by the rainy season, where some durian trees reached the fruiting stage but were aborted due to the heavy rainfall.
Factors also include the export market, where local production competes with 18 exporters for fresh and frozen durian meat. For instance, 40 tons of fresh durian from the January-February harvest were shipped out of the city.
Durian exporters prefer Puyat since its taste and quality are similar to Malaysia’s Musang King, but other varieties, such as D-101, Kob, Duyaya, and Arancillo, are available in the local markets.
The city has 3,000 hectares dedicated to durian, but only 2,000 are considered productive.
With the limited supply, the city is looking into sourcing durian from neighboring provinces, such as Kidapawan in North Cotabato.
