FOR durian growers, years of hard work can come down to one harvest — and one buying price. Rising fertilizer costs and unpredictable returns make every season a gamble.
“Farming kasi hindi mo sinasabing trabaho. It's a lifestyle kasi dahil lahat ng aspect ng buhay mo, nandun sa farming (Farming is not something you can simply call a job. It’s a lifestyle because every aspect of your life is immersed in farming),” said Emmanuel Belviz, president of the Durian Industry Association of Davao City, in an interview with SunStar Davao.
His family has seen fruit go to waste when local supply outpaced demand. Now, access to export markets, particularly China, offers a chance to move more Philippine durian — but it also raises the stakes for growers. They must meet stricter quality standards and shoulder rising production costs without any guarantee of better returns.
“Ang fertilizer ngayon, times two, times three na. So parang give your farmer a break (Fertilizer costs have doubled, even tripled. So give your farmers a break),” Belviz said.
He said consumers should also recognize the cost of producing good fruit. “So dapat ano, we’re willing to pay good money for good durian, or any fruit, di ba? (We should be willing to pay a good price for good durian, or any fruit, right?).”
A costly commitment
Belviz’s family has grown durian for more than four decades. His late father, Severino, who was involved in the cacao export business, began expanding the family’s durian plantings in the early 1990s after visiting farms in Malaysia and Thailand. As the eldest of three siblings, Belviz felt a responsibility to carry on the family business.
He studied agriculture at the University of the Philippines Los Baños, where he met Mary Grace, a fellow agriculture student who later became his girlfriend and wife.
The family started making durian candies and jam at home, selling them to neighbors before formally establishing Rosario’s Delicacies in 2001. Processing later became an important outlet when local production outpaced demand in the late 2000s, and some fruit went unsold.
The experience taught Belviz that growing a good crop is only half the battle. Farmers also need dependable markets and ways to use fruit that does not meet fresh-market requirements.
His father had helped promote durian through festivals in Cebu and Manila while serving as president of the Durian Industry Council of Region 11. After his father’s death, Belviz continued the industry advocacy and farmer education work.
Now, he said, the industry’s biggest challenges are finding markets and maintaining consistent quality.
The opening of China’s market has created opportunities for growers, traders and processors, but export access does not guarantee higher farm-gate prices.
Retchie Tayco, manager of Maylong Enterprises Corp., which exports Davao durian to China Resources Holdings Co. Ltd., said the buying price this season fell to P60 per kilogram from P120 to P140 the previous year.
“Ang buying gud namo niabot lang mi og 60, samtang last year niabot mi og 140, 120 (Our buying price reached only P60 per kilogram, while last year it reached P120 to P140),” Tayco said.
At the same time, farmers continue paying for fertilizer, crop protection products, and labor.
“Ang inputs nato mga spray, medisina, labor, atoang i-compare sa income, morag negative gyud (When we compare the costs of sprays, crop protection products and labor with the income, it can really become negative),” Tayco said.
For growers, the difference between production costs and the price buyers offer can determine whether a harvest generates a profit or merely covers expenses.
Meeting export standards
Chinese buyers scrutinize durian’s appearance, including its thorns and visible defects, Tayco said.
“Kinahanglan gyud walay salbo, guapa ang tunok, kinahanglang presentable gyud siya tan-awon ba (It really needs to have no defects. The thorns should look good. It has to be presentable),” he said.
Even darkening skin can raise concerns among buyers unfamiliar with Philippine durian.
“Mulagom, lahi na ang panan-aw. Ambi nila damage na ((When it darkens, it looks different. They may think it is already damaged),” Tayco said.
Some Chinese consumers are also unfamiliar with local varieties and how to assess ripeness. Puyat, for instance, is difficult to open and does not readily split.
“Ang Puyat gahi abrihon, dili pud muliki (Puyat is hard to open, and it does not split open),” he added.
Maylong classifies fruit as A, B, or C, selecting Class A for export. Fruit that fails to meet fresh-market standards may still be processed into frozen durian meat.
Farm structure also affects quality. Many Davao farms have tall, mature durian trees intercropped with cacao, bananas, and coffee, unlike some Thai plantations devoted entirely to durian.
“Sa Thailand makita nimo ngadto pila ka hectarya puro ra gyud durian (In Thailand, you can see several hectares planted entirely with durian),” Tayco said.
Fruit falling from taller trees can sustain impact damage, making careful harvesting and postharvest handling essential. Meeting export requirements may therefore require investments that do not always result in higher buying prices.
Belviz’s family farm has about 624 durian trees across four hectares, or roughly 156 trees per hectare. Maintaining the orchard involves rehabilitating trees, replacing varieties to meet market demand and improving soil health — investments aimed at producing quality fruit for local and export markets.
Belviz urged growers not to sacrifice quality for volume as export opportunities expand. Philippine varieties, including Puyat, can compete when properly cultivated and handled, he said, but the industry must build a reputation for dependable quality and supply.
Years of waiting
For 50-year-old Mitzi Andallo and her partner, Glenn Oguio, durian farming is a long-term investment that requires years of patience before the trees bear fruit. They began planting in 2019 in Wangan and Sirib, Davao City, and now have about 180 trees in Wangan and 140 in Sirib. Their first harvest came roughly four to five years after planting.
While waiting for the trees to mature, the couple relied on bananas to help sustain the farm. Even after the durian trees began bearing fruit, expenses continued, particularly during flowering and fruit development when repeated spraying may be needed to protect the crop.
Weather adds to the uncertainty. Heavy rain can cause fruit to fall, while intense heat can damage it, threatening both the volume and quality of the harvest. For growers, the investment continues long before they know how much they can sell or how much they will earn.
Still, Andallo remains hopeful. Her advice to aspiring growers is simple: “Mag-tanom lang gyud para naay anihon. Ampo gyud pirmi kay dili nato hawak ang panahon. Duna'y epekto kung sunod-sunod ang ulan o ang init (Just keep planting so there will be something to harvest. Always pray because we cannot control the weather. Prolonged rain or intense heat can affect the crop)."
For her, the journey is about patience and perseverance — but with fluctuating buying prices and rising farm costs, growers also need a market that makes the long wait worthwhile.
Growing the market
Belviz sees room to increase domestic consumption. He cited Philippine per capita durian consumption at about 660 grams, compared with three kilograms in Singapore and 11 kilograms in Malaysia.
Festivals, tastings, retail campaigns and other promotions could introduce more Filipinos to the fruit, creating additional outlets for growers. Processing could also help absorb fruit that does not meet fresh-export specifications.
He wants the government to help farmers obtain Philippine Good Agricultural Practices (PhilGAP) accreditation through training and technical assistance. He also called for exporters to source from accredited farms and for better irrigation, farm-to-market roads, postharvest facilities, and links among growers, processors, and buyers.
The industry’s export figures show both potential and volatility. The Philippines shipped 20,237.83 metric tons of durian in 2024, but exports fell to 4,456 metric tons in 2025. From January to September 2026, exports reached 9,483.37 metric tons, comprising 6,345.81 metric tons of fresh durian and 3,137.56 metric tons of frozen products.
For Belviz, the challenge is to make market growth sustainable for the people who produce the fruit. He urged consumers to recognize the cost of growing quality durian and be willing to pay for it.
Bigger markets may offer Davao’s durian industry a growth path. But for farmers who spend years tending trees and absorbing production costs, success will ultimately depend on whether those markets deliver dependable demand and prices that make the next harvest worth the gamble. MLSA