According to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization, the durian trade, which is new to the Philippines, is seen to offer ample commercial opportunities to exporters given its high price and market niche. Based on its data, durian global trade has increased more than tenfold between 2003 and 2022, reaching a peak of 930,000 tons in 2021.
The FAO report also cited high average trade unit values of durian, reaching annual averages of around $5,000 per ton in 2021–2022. The tropical fruit also reached an average global trade value of approximately $3 billion per annum in 2020–2022, “placing this commodity firmly ahead of fresh mangoes and pineapples,” the FAO said.
Small export quantities originate in the Philippines and Indonesia. In terms of destination, China is the leading importer of durian, procuring an estimated annual average of 740,000 tons during 2020-2022, equivalent to around 95 percent of world imports.
The Philippines only recently bagged a $2-billion fruit export deal with China, including an initial $260-million Philippine durian shipments. Apart from China, the Philippines has been exporting fresh durian to Hong Kong, Japan, Malaysia, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Thailand, the United Arab Emirates, and Vietnam. Meanwhile, the country exports frozen durian to Korea, Malaysia, among others.
From 2017 to 2021, the country’s durian production saw an average growth rate of 2.9 percent, based on data from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA). In 2021, durian output reached 73,867.42 tons, down 6.3 percent from 78,815.99 tons.
Source: philstar.com