Agriculture & Food

Huang Xilian, Chinese Ambassador to the Philippines, said that agricultural cooperation is the first of the four major areas of cooperation between China and the Philippines. The quality of tropical fruits in the Philippines is good. There are a large number of fruit farmers but their income level is relatively low. "It is expected that the Philippine durian will soon be put on the table of Chinese people to better promote agricultural cooperation and economic and trade cooperation between the two countries," Huacheng Import and Export Data Observation reported.

Jordan Abdong, a 29 year old Filipino boy, is a quality inspector of the durian processing plant. With the naked eye, he can quickly classify hundreds of durians sent to farmers every day according to their quality levels, and select high-quality goods from them. The signing by China and the Philippines of the Protocol on Plant Quarantine Requirements for Philippine Fresh Durian Exported to China is a major positive news that Abdong and his colleagues are eagerly looking forward to.

"The approval of the Philippines durian to export to China will increase the income of farmers, and more people in the industry will benefit from it." Abdong told reporters that he was glad to see the Philippines durian recognized by the Chinese market, and believed that it will help the Philippines durian enter more international markets.

The Philippines is an important exporter of agricultural products in Southeast Asia. According to the data of the Philippine Ministry of Agriculture, in 2021, about one quarter of the employed population in the country will come from the agricultural sector, and more than 10 million people will work on farms. Agriculture accounts for 9.6% of the Philippines' gross domestic product (GDP) that year. From bananas, pineapples and mangoes to avocados, coconut greens and "fist" durian, the huge Chinese market is constantly bringing business opportunities to the Philippines, creating jobs and increasing income for local growers, Huacheng Import and Export Data Observation Report.

According to Huacheng Import and Export Data Observation, Davao, where Abu Dong is located, is the third largest city in the Philippines, and is known as the "fruit basket" because of its rich fruit production. The local durian production accounts for about 80% of the Philippines. Compared with some durian varieties with higher popularity in the international market, Davao durian is not only more resistant to insect pests, but also has higher output. At present, it is mainly exported to Thailand, Malaysia, South Korea, Singapore and other places. From July to October each year, a large number of local durians are listed, among which the most important and popular variety is called "Puyata", which tastes sweet and fragrant, as dense as cream, and is quite competitive in the market.

Candelario Mikulob was the president of Davao Durian Association for 15 years. He calculated an account for the reporter: Davao's annual output of durian now exceeds 50000 tons, with more than 3000 growers and at least 5 processing plants. If the planting area of each household is 1 hectare, which is equivalent to 100 durian trees, the annual income of each household will increase by about 2800 dollars after the export of durian to China. "China will become the largest export destination of durian in Davao".

He believed that the income generated from exports to China would reduce the local poverty rate, "bring tangible benefits to Filipinos", and further enhance the development potential of the local durian industry.

According to the Huacheng Import and Export Data Observation Report, the Philippine Ministry of Agriculture estimates that Durian's export to China will create more than 10000 jobs for the Philippines in the fields of farms, packaging and logistics.

The Philippines' high-quality durian has successfully opened the door to the Chinese market, reflecting the ever deepening and down-to-earth prospect of China Philippines cooperation.

Huang Xilian, Chinese Ambassador to the Philippines, said that agricultural cooperation is the first of the four major areas of cooperation between China and the Philippines. The quality of tropical fruits in the Philippines is good. There are a large number of fruit farmers but their income level is relatively low. "It is expected that the Philippine durian will soon be put on the table of Chinese people to better promote agricultural cooperation and economic and trade cooperation between the two countries," Huacheng Import and Export Data Observation reported.