THE DURIAN Industry Association in Davao City (DIADC) will focus on attracting more local tourists for the 10th Durian Festival, which opened on Aug. 9 at SM Lanang North Wing Grounds.
During the Agribiz forum on Aug. 6, DIADC president Emmanuel Belviz said the local market has been overlooked due to the growing demand for durian overseas.
“Due to the growing demand and exports of durian outside of the country, murag napabayaan sab nato atong local markets. We should push more for local kay murag ubos-ubos pud atoang per capita consumption sa pagkakaron. We hope this event will help engage more local consumers and visitors, especially in the Kadayawan season,” Belviz said.
Belviz said various activities will be enjoyed throughout the month-long event, such as the Durian Eating Contest and Biggest Durian Competition, among others.
About six stalls with diverse durian varieties from Toril, Tugbok, Calinan, upper Calinan, and North Cotabato will be displayed and sold. Unusual durian varieties will also be featured by the Bureau of Plant Industry.
Belviz also stressed that durians that are off-spec for export, which means it does not meet quality standards or specifications, are not necessarily unfit for consumption.
“Durians that are off-spec for export, ginabaligya gyud gihapon nato. When I say off-spec, dili na ingon reject. Our farmers still continue to allocate for our local market,” he said.
He added that other fruits such as mangosteen, lansones, jackfruits, and other processed foods and delicacies such as durian candy, and frozen durian are displayed during the event.
The 10th Durian Festival, in line with the 39th Kadayawan Festival in Davao City, will run from August 9 until the end of September.
Photo by Bing Gonzales
