LACK OF PROCESSING FACILITY. Candelario Miculob, chairman of the Durian Industry Council, during a media briefing Tuesday (July 9, 2019) underscores the importance of a fruit processing facility in Davao City. (Photo by Digna Banzon)
DAVAO CITY — The city government and the Department of Agriculture (DA) have joined hands for the PHP350 million fruit processing facility, an official of the Durian Industry Council of Davao City (DICDC) said.
DICDC chairman Candelario Miculob said Tuesday the facility would be useful in boosting their foreign market viability where demand for frozen fruits remains high.
"Davao has an abundant supply of fruits especially during the third quarter and with this processing facility, fruits can be processed and marketed with added value," Miculob said.
Miculob said despite their contribution to the country's production at 60 percent, the supply to the foreign market remains very low.
"We supply our buyers but only for small volumes, such as in Singapore, Hong Kong, and other countries" where demand is high, he said.
"Although there are small-sized facilities here, they can only process a ton in 12 days and cannot meet the big requirement of the China market," he said.
He also noted that foreign markets require facilities with international standards.
The planned processing facility is set to be built within the Davao Food Terminal Complex in Daliao, Toril, this city. It would include, among others, the building, the cold blasts freezing storage, a facility for raw materials, packaging, and others.
Miculob said construction will start anytime this year as soon as all requirements have been fulfilled. (PNA)
