The economic integration of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in 2015 might threaten the local durian farming industry, a small Davao-based company said over the weekend.
”We have a lot of durian farmers, but if other ASEAN countries’ come in, their varieties will be better than ours. We’re getting varieties from them. Our Durian market will fall because we got it from them,” Tagum Golden Foods Inc. president Alma Uy told reporters during a project visit to their store in Tagum City last Friday.
Uy said the well-accepted durian species planted in the Philippines had originated from Thailand and Malaysia. One of these species is D101, which melts in one’s mouth; the Philippines re-planted the seed due to its creamy goodness, Uy said, comparing its quality to chocolate.
She said she only added durian to her line of products in 2006, having started with calamansi way back in 2000 to sustain the local production in Mindanao and combat the slow-death of its plantations, as more and more farmers are replacing their calamansi farms with banana.
”People are converting their plantation into banana, so calamansi will die. I’m against multinationals, because they just get our money, unlike with the farmers, the money only circulates here,” Uy said.
Tagum Golden Foods Inc. obtained an P8-million loan through the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) Small Enterprise Technology Upgrading Program (SETUP), which it used to buy a locally-developed calamansi presser equipment. It’s a long-term loan payable within five years, with no interest.
The company buys its durian and calamansi supplies from farmers in Davao and its own plantation. Currently, Uy’s 50-hectare plantation is dominated by durian at 90 percent and calamansi at 10 percent. She said she plans to expand her calamansi plantation by 10 hectares, stressing that she is presently contented with her durian plantation.
Exporting to East Asia, Middle East
Although missing out in the Metro Manila market, Tagum Golden Foods Inc. said it will venture into exporting calamansi by January, as soon as the countries of Korea, Taiwan, China and Japan approve the legal papers it had submitted.
”Hopefully, by January I can start exporting,” Uy said.
Aside from the upcoming markets for its calamansi products, Tagum Golden Foods Inc. is targeting to export its durian products to Dubai and Middle East, along with Singapore and Taiwan, which also has a huge durian eater population.
With eyes on adding to their line of products, Uy is planning to develop durian and calamansi wines, which will yet need another set of equipment and funding.
The company’s gross sales slightly decreased for 2013 to P7 million from P8 million for 2012.
Tagum Golden Foods Inc. is currently offering 55 products made from durian and 10 products from calamansi.
Source: interaksyon.com