Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 8) — The Philippines has shipped its first batch of durian to China as part of the implementation of a bilateral deal signed with the East Asian giant in January, the Department of Agriculture (DA) said on Saturday.
The DA said the country sent out on Thursday a 28-ton durian cargo, sourced from local producers and processors, particularly from the Davao region.
“Another shipment of 28 tons was sent off via airfreight, while 10 container vans loaded with a total 7.2 tons was transported via sea vessel, on Saturday, April 8,” the agency added.
The DA also said that prior to the delivery, the General Administration Customs of China said five packaging facilities and 58 durian farms received the “green light” from the Chinese government.
In February, Malacañang announced that the Philippines was poised to send in March an initial volume of 7,500 metric tons of durian, which would be sourced from 59 local farmers and producers.
On Jan. 4, Manila and Beijing signed the “Protocol of the Phytosanitary Requirements for Export of Fresh Durians from the Philippines to China,” which opened up the Chinese market for an estimated 50,000 metric tons of fresh durian.
The DA said the deal is expected to generate $260 million or ₱14.3 billion in revenues for the local durian industry.
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