PH gears for $2-B export of durian, other tropical fruits to China

by Jel Santos, MB

The Department of Agriculture (DA) is now preparing for the country’s $2.09-billion fruit export to China, which primarily includes durian and other tropical fruits.

Durian (MANILA BULLETIN FILE PHOTO)

During the recent state visit to China, the protocols for “phytosanitary requirements for the export of fresh durians from the Philippines to China” were covered by the 14 bilateral agreements signed as the Philippine delegation led by President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos, Jr. and First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos met with Chinese officials, according to the Office of the Press Secretary. 

“There has been created what we are now calling the ‘Durian Protocol’ because they are opening their trade to imports of durian and other agricultural products from the Philippines, so that we can regress the imbalance in our imports and exports from China,” Marcos disclosed after his meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping last week

In a press briefing on Tuesday, Jan. 10, Agriculture Assistant Secretary Rex Estoperez, who serves as DA’s deputy spokesperson, revealed that the steps to begin the durian export to China are now being finalized.

“Iyon pong formal na pagmi-meeting namin with our delegation sa China po ay mangyayari pa po iyan sa Friday together with the Executive Committee, pero ang pagkakaalam ko lang iyong pina-finalize ngayon is iyong export natin po ng Durian doon sa China (Our formal meeting with the Philippine delegation in China will be held this Friday, together with the Executive Committee, but as far as I know, we are now currently finalizing our durian export to China),” the official said.

On Monday, Jan. 9, DA Senior Undersecretary Domingo Panganiban and Assistant Secretary for Operations Arnel De Mesa called for a special meeting with the Regional Executive Directors (REDs) and Bureau of Plant Industry officials to discuss plans for the export project. 

The DA is set to prepare for the expansion of durian production in the country to meet the demands of the Chinese market for fresh durians. During the meeting, Panganiban directed the concerned REDs to identify the potential areas for expansion and formulate the necessary work and financial plans to sustain the durian export.

Aside from durian, also part of the fruit export deal with China are coconuts and bananas.

How would you describe the life in the early Filipino settlements in terms of food?

Josh

World History and Economics Professor | M.A

Pigs, Chicken, Goat, Bananas, Coconut, big fish

According to Antonio Pigafetta, who was Ferdinand Magellan's secretary and accountant, who also wrote a book about the business expedition, the indios would consistently sell pigs, chickens, goat, bananas, coconut and at times big fish to the Europeans. Do note that the indios were described by Pigafetta as skilled merchants and good bargainers. This means that the indios would have known better to sell the visiting ships for fish, something the sailors would have been eating during the voyage. The Indios were assertive in selling pigs, chicken, banas, coconuts. The method of cookery continues to be studied by scholars but one dish Pigafetta mentioned was “Pork in it's gravy".

The early Filipino settlements would have used the same produce. The indios would have kept eating the same food while Spanish settlers would have brought with them methods of cookery from Europe BUT using what is locally available -pigs, chicken, goat, banana, coconut. As such, the Pochero might have been invented by the settlers as it used Spanish cooking methods of garlic and onions but with bananas that do not exist in Spain. Or it could have been a dish from the Americas as they have bananas plus Pochero is made with tomatoes, which only exist in the Americas. Many dishes developed from Spanish ideas, such as the Longanisa developing from Chorizo, Kinilaw from Ceviche, Bulalo from Osso Bucco, Sinigang from Basque Fisherman's Soup, etc.

Trade between Mexico and Philippines would have been established so tomatoes, potatoes, corn and many Mexixan produce would have been introduced.

Note that culinary did not exist prior to 1900s when Auguste Escoffier formalised cookery. Although Culinarians trace the origin of cookery to 1400s to the Medici Queen who brought her cooks to France, dishes did not develop yet to fine dining. In the prehispánic society, Pigafetta did not observe that the indios named their dishes. By 1800s however, dishes in the Philippines had names.

Without refrigeration, animals would have been kept as long as possible before eating. In prehispánic days, Pigafetta noted that the households had pigs but did not seem to touch them, Pigafetta theorised that they were taxes for the Rajah because the palace had nightly banquets of pork. Chicken grew fast and in abundance so the households would have eaten chicken more often than pig. Pigafetta also noted that every household had a vegetable garden. My theory is that the song “Bahay Kubo" is prehispanic in origin or perhaps written in early Filipino settlement days due to the heavy use of banjos or guitar.

For sure, prehispánic society to early Filipino settlements ate a lot of vegetables. Lack of refrigeration was a factor. The Adobo also exist in other Spanish colonies in Americas and in Spain maybe. However, they differ in ingredients based on what is locally available. In Mexico, their Adobo uses paprika and chili while in Philippines is soy sauce. Adobo in all colonies and Spain uses vinegar. As such, it is yet to be known if Adobo is a colonial introduction. Filipino Adobo has no cousin in other Southeast Asian countries. It is however similar in taste to Taiwanese braised beef. In most probability, Adobo is a method of preserving food and would have been a European introduction. The winters of Europe forced them to preserve meats for the winters such as smoked ham, air dried ham, sausage, and even anchovies. In the tropical Philippines, food was abundant all year round, thus food preservation unnecessary.

Eventually, Philippines imported Spanish wines, olives, chorizo, etc.

Strategic Response to the Panama Disease in Davao City

DOST officials led by Secretary Mario G. Montejo, met on December 9, 2011 with banana growers and exporters, researchers and heads of local line agencies to discuss the next steps in the ongoing united response against the Panama Disease or Fusarium Wilt (FW) of banana.

"We acknowledge the urgency of the issue", said Sec. Montejo as he assured the body of department's moves to come up with immediate and long-term S&T-based solutions for the management of the disease. He further shared that the Department is streamlining its process to shorten its response time. For instance, approval for a full project proposal may not be needed for release of funds, as long as the proposed concept is sound. Also, appropriate S&T-based interventions will be implemented simultaneously in affected areas while the more-in-depth R&D will be on-going.

Specifically, the Secretary pushed for the "S&T Intervention in Managing the Fursarium Wilt in Davao". This R&D Program is slated to come up with disease management measures and develop a resistant variety. DOST and the Philippine Council of Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources and Development  will fund and coordinate the conduct of this program.

First among the proposed projects is the use of biological control agents against Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cubense, the fungus which causes FW. The physico-chemical characteristics of soils will be studied to determine why some soils seem to suppress the disease.

The project will also work on developing varieties that are resistant, locally-adapted and approximate the fruit quality of the prevailing Cavendish varieties. The Secretary hoped to enlist the assistance of the Taiwanese government in obtaining germ plasma for this purpose. 

For its part, the Department of Agriculture XI organized Task Force Fusarium to push local quarantine ordinances and promote the disease management protocol. Currently several towns have adopted policies to restrict the movement of planting material in infected areas. Together with the Filipino Banana Growers and Exporter Association, they are promoting the disease management protocol through development and distribution of information materials, and through protocol briefings.

NEDA XI Director Ma. Lourdes D. Lim, who chairs the Regional R&D Coordinating Council of the Southern Mindanao Agriculture and Resources R&D Consortium, welcomed the DOST's proposed moves. As Vice Chair also of the Regional Development Council, she put the full force of the various members behind the common initiative. 

Before 2002, Philippine bananas were largely resistant to the disease. While other countries were reeling from the effects of FW infestation, the country was ex-industry and eventually became the world's second largest banana  exporter.