The Regional office of the Department of Agriculture launched a project that will develop the durian industry.
Melanie Provido, regional office chief of the DA-High-Value Crops Development Program, said the project, Durian 500, aims to add about 500 hectares of durian plantations in the city and helps increase productivity.
“It is a big opportunity of Davao Region to take advantage of this opening of China for our high value foods, that is why we decided that durian should be among the fruits to be exported in China,” Provido told TIMES on Thursday.
Representatives of the agency, City Agriculturist Office (CAO), and the local farmers, planted durian seedlings Baguio Proper to launch the project.
Provido said they chose Baguio District as an expansion area for durian plantation “because of its strategic location.”
It is also the location of the durian processing facility managed by Candelario Miculob, president of the Durian Industry Council of Davao City (DICDC).
DA 11 will also provide training and marketing assistance to the local farmers.
The agency targets to plant 50,000 durian trees in the next three years.
