PH ships durian, mangosteen to Canada

Nearly a metric ton of durian and mangosteen will be shipped to Canada as the Philippines seeks to open another potential market for its tropical fruits, the Department of Agriculture (DA) said on Wednesday.

A trial shipment of fresh fruit bound for Vancouver on Wednesday, September 23, consists of 300 kilograms of durian (Durio zibethinus) and 120 kilograms of mangosteen (Garcinia mangostana) for Canadian buyer Fresh Makers Ltd.

A second batch containing 300 kilograms of durian and 200 kilograms of mangosteen is scheduled to ship to Toronto on Thursday, September 24, the DA added.

“The latest shipments of fresh durian and mangosteen are part of our broader effort under the Marcos administration to find new markets for local agricultural commodities to bolster farm incomes and sustain rural development,” Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. said in a statement.

The fruits will be flown to Canada via Philippine Airlines.

The shipments come days after the Philippines made its first commercial shipment of fresh Carabao mangoes to Canada, sending 1 metric ton to Vancouver.

The DA said the latest deliveries are part of its efforts to broaden the Philippines' high-value agricultural exports, including durian, cacao, coffee and okra.

The department said the export drive comes as the country's agricultural trade deficit has exceeded $11 billion annually since 2022.

Tiu Laurel has emphasized that growing farm exports is vital to generating greater economic gains for local farmers and rural communities.

The DA recently reported that Filipino exporters and growers generated US$290 million in sales for various tropical fruits during an expo in Hong Kong.

The booked and negotiated sales involved Cavendish and Cardava (saba) bananas, durian, mangoes and dragon fruit.—MCG, GMA News