The Durian season may be earlier this year, but the industry is expecting a lower production due to the weak dry spell which started last year.
“Although there’s a lot of durian flowers, we are worried about this continuing dry spell because trees have not yet recovered (from Typhoon Chedeng) and now here’s dry spell,” said Candelario Miculob, Durian Industry Council of Davao City president, during the Kapihan sa Dabaw at the SM City Davao Monday.
Miculob said that Durian production is expected be 20% to 40% lower this year from the 30 million kilogram projection that the council first came up with.
In Davao Region, Miculob said the city is considered the top producer of the fruit as it accounts for about 80% of the supply in the Philippine market. The region has about 8,000 hectares in production, with about 3,000 hectares are in the city, he said.
Meanwhile, Miculob encouraged more farmers outside the region, like Bukidnon and Maguindanao, to plant Durian to help in expanding the production area by another 1,000 hectares a year to meeting the growing demand locally and the international market.
“We are exporting about 40% of durian but we are also making sure that there are still available products in our local market,” he said.
The City Agriculturist Office (CAO) is also very active in providing assistance to durian farmers through trainings, rehabilitations and nursery establishments in order to produce best varieties.
