30° C

The Philippine Islands are home to a wide variety of warm-climate fruit trees. Fruit bearing trees in the
Philippines grow both in the wild and as crops on commercial farms. Many fruits that grow in the
Philippines are also frequently available in the U.S., such as avocados and bananas. Other exotic tropical
fruits, such as durian and mangosteen, are less common in some Western countries.

Mangosteen

Mangosteen trees grow only in warm tropical climates; they produce round dark purple fruits that are
popular throughout the world. They grow best in humid conditions and rich soils. Mangosteen has an
edible sweet white pulp, which makes up only one-third of the fruit. People also use mangosteen trees
to make dyes and medicines for thrush and intestinal problems. Some farmers in the Philippines grow
mangosteen trees to export the fruits.

Papayas are tasty, sweet fruits when ripe, and people eat them raw and in shakes. Unripe papaya fruits
also work well in savory dishes. Papayas have orange or pinkish interior edible flesh with dark seeds
inside. They have yellow or green exteriors, which are not eaten. The trees grow best in warm and sunny
areas with regular rain or irrigation. The largest varieties of papaya trees grow up to 33 feet tall, but
many papaya trees stay shorter than this height.

The most popular types of mango trees in the Philippines originated in India and other areas outside of
the Philippines. Mangoes have sweet orangish flesh with green, orange and yellowish exterior layers
that people peel off before eating the fruit. They also have large pits in their centers. People around the
world buy mangoes exported from other countries, and farmers in the Philippines can grow mangoes for
profit. The trees like sunny areas, loamy soils and distinct wet and dry seasons.

Bananas are a popular local and export crop in the Philippines. The trees can tolerate a wide range of
soil types and pH levels, but they require good drainage to grow healthily. Sweet bananas are popular
eaten alone or in desserts, and savory plantain are popular for frying.

Durian

...

Durian is an Asian fruit that grows on trees that reach up to 40 feet tall. The trees have peeling reddish-
brown bark, and they produce fruits known for their offensive smell and delicious taste. The fruits have
green or brown spiky exteriors. Durian trees require slightly acidic and fertile soil, and they grow at
elevations up to 800 feet.

Avocado

...
Avocado trees have large dark green leaves. They reach heights of 30 to 60 feet tall and grow well in a
variety of soil types. Despite their wide planting range in warm climates, avocados do not grow well in
very windy areas. They are not native to the Philippines, but have grown there for hundreds of years.
Popular around the world, avocados generate money as export crops.

All Kinds of Fruits in the Philippines

A variety of less well-known fruit trees also grow in the Philippines, such as dalandan, dayap and
kalamansi varieties of citrus trees. Macapuno is mutation of regular coconuts that grows in the
Philippines. Sweet atis fruits, guavas and jackfruits also grow in the Philippines. While many plants of
these sorts are difficult to track down in the U.S., travelers in the Florida area can drive down to Miami,
where the Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden hosts a wide range of the world's tropical fruit plants,
including such Filipino fruits as jackfruit. Similarly, travelers to the Philippines can see orchards of
indigenous fruit trees at local botanical gardens and conservatories, including the Northwestern
University Ecological Park and Botanic Gardens in Laoag City. Many farmer's markets around the U.S. sell
tropical fruit such as that grown in the Philippines. Customers looking to get their hands on some should
either call ahead or check the market website to see if a selection is offered or when it will next be in
stock based on season

Tropical fruits are fruits growing in tropical countries – warm areas with temperate climate. Since
Philippine is a tropical country, a variety of delicious tropical fruits are cultivated here. Here are some of
the most common tropical fruits in the Philippines.

Sugar apple, more commonly called as "Atis", is originally introduced during the Spanish era. It is a
sweet tasting fruit that can be seen anywhere in the neighborhood. This fruit is abundant during the
months of September to November and its tree is very easy to cultivate.

Various kinds of bananas can be found in the Philippines – tundan, lakatan, señorita, and others. In fact
this country is one of the leading producers of bananas all throughout the world. Bananas have different
colors and sizes. They are very healthy and rich in Potassium, that’s why they are loved by many.

Coconut is also known as “buko” in Filipino language. It is a large and hard-shelled nut, with a white flesh
and colorless juice inside. It is rich in Vitamin B. Its palm tree is called the “tree of life” because all of its
parts provide raw materials that can be used for different items.

Coconut milk, alcohol or tuba, and vinegar can be made from it. Its bark and leaves can be made into all
kinds of products such as baskets, ropes, brushes, mats, and other furniture. It also produces coconut oil
which can be used for cooking or spa massages. You can also make buko juice which is perfect during
summer season. This helps in eliminating kidney-related problems. Coconut is very nutritious indeed!

DURIAN (Durio zibethinus)

Durian is known as the “King of all Tropical Fruits”. It is well-known for possessing a very bad and terrible
smell but behind that smell is a delicious taste that you will surely love. Durian is popular in Davao
province. It is very big and heavy; it can weigh up to 10 pounds and its skin is covered with sharp and
hard spines. This fruit is expensive but after you taste it, you can say that your money is worth it!

GUAVA (Psidium guajava)

This tropical green fruit is a very good source of Vitamin C, dietary fibers and Potassium; it is also good
for constipation and skin care problems. This fruit's taste is similar to pear, although pear has a softer
and juicier flesh.

Guava is green but becomes yellow when overripe. It has a light sweet taste. Guava is commonly known
as "bayabas".

JACK FRUIT (Artocarpus heterophyllus)

Jack fruit or "langka" is the largest and most impressive tree-borne fruit in tropical countries all over the
world, reaching as much as 40 kilos and up to 36 inches. Its smell is sweet; it is delicious as well as
nutritious.

It strengthens the immune system, regulates blood sugar levels, prevents bone loss, and helps prevent
anemia. The skin of the jackfruit is green, yellow when ripe, and the interior consists of large bulbs of
yellow and delectable flesh.

MANGOSTEEN (Garcinia mangostana)

This fruit is one of the most delicious tropical fruits in the Philippines. It is also known as the "Queen of
Fruits" because it has a crown on its head. It has a thick, dark red or purple brown skin.It is also small like
the size of mandarin. The taste is a pulpy and delicate sweet acid.

PINEAPPLE (Ananas comosus)

The taste of a pineapple is not too sour or too sweet, just right. Many Filipinos eat this fruit with a bit
salt. It is very rich in Vitamin C. Pineapples are mostly cultivated in the province of Bukidnon, where the
cold mountain air help it grow abundantly This fruit is eaten clean and fresh or they are canned or
juiced.
RAMBUTAN (Nephelium mutabile)

Rambutan is easily identified because of its spines and red bright color covered with fine, short hairs. It
is a very common fruit in the Philippines and it is usually grown in the provinces of Nueva Vizcaya,
Laguna and Quezon. This fruit is also small, not bigger than the egg, and gives off a soft sweet taste. Its
name originated from the Malay word "rambut" which means "hair".

The major fruit species grown in the country are: a) banana (Musa sp.); b) pineapple (Ananas comosus);
c) mango (Mangifera indica); d) papaya (Carica papaya); e) calamondin (Microfortunella microcarpa); f)
durian (Durio zibethinus); g) jackfruit (Artocarpus heterophyllus); and h) lanzones (Lansium
domesticum).

Banana, pineapple and mango are the major fruit export commodities of the country both in fresh and
processed forms.

Banana

This is the number one fruit commodity in the Philippines both in production and hectarage. The
industry is divided into two distinct sectors namely those for the domestic market and those for the
export market. For the former, the cultivars being grown are ‘Lakatan’, ‘Latundan’, “Bungulan’ and
‘Saba’/’Cardaba’, while for the latter, it is the Cavendish-type cultivars (‘Umalag’, ‘Grand Nain’, ‘Giant
Cavendish’, Dwarf Cavendish’, etc). Furthermore, banana for the domestic market are grown
throughout the country in small farms under minimal care while for the export market, large integrated
farms are concentrated in Mindanao where typhoons/strong winds seldomly occur and grown under
intensive cultivation. Harvesting occurs throughout the year. The planting materials utilized are
corms/suckers and tissue culture- derived plantlets. For the suckers/corms, they are obtained from
existing farms while for tissue-cultured plantlets, these were obtained from government and private
tissue culture laboratories.

Production and hectarage. Fig. 7 shows the total production and area planted to banana from 2008-
2013. In the first five years, total production had been increasing steadily reaching 9,260,000MT. This
was greatly reduced to 8,645,750MT by 2013 due to the strong typhoon that hit some of the growing
areas in Mindanao. The average annual growth rate during this period was -0.03%. In terms of area
planted to banana, the highest was 499,443 hectares in 2010 and then steadily decreased reaching
445,935 ha in 2013. The average annual growth rate for the area planted to banana was 0.93%.

On a regional level, the area devoted to banana varies ranging from 4,932ha in Cordillera Administrative
Region (CAR) to 88,320ha in Davao Region in 2013. It is in the latter region where majority of the large
farms are situated (Fig. 8).

Yield. The yield per hectare obtained from 2008-2013 ranged from 18.22MT (2010) to 20.36MT (2011)
with an average of 19.71mt/ha and an average annual growth rate of - 0.16 from 2008-2013 (Fig. 9).

Utilization. Banana fruits are utilized as fresh fruit, for processing, export and feeds/wastes. It
comprised 46%, 17%, 33% and 4%, respectively of the total production amounting to 8,645,750MT in
2013 (Fig. 10). The domestic fresh fruit consumption is represented as total net food disposable.

Farmgate price. This includes the prices for the banana cultivars being traded in the domestic market.
These are for mature green fruit of ‘Bungulan’, ‘Lakatan’, ‘Latundan’ and ‘Saba’/’Cardaba’. Fig. 11 shows
the average annual farmgate prices of these cultivars from 2008-2013. During these time period, the
price/kg had been increasing steadily with an average annual growth rate of 22.10%, 10.26%, 5.71% and
9.10% for ‘Bungulan,,’Lakatan’, ‘Latundan’ and ‘Saba’/’Cardaba’, respectively. “Latundan’, which is the
most preferred by in the local market, had the highst price followed by ‘Latundan’ which are both
consumed as fresh fruit. ‘Saba’/’Cardaba’ is utilized for cooking, snack food and processing. The least
preferred cultivar is ’Bungulan’ which is utilized as fresh fruit and making banana cake had the least
price.

Export. Banana is the number one agricultural export commodity of the country. From 2008 to 2013,
the volume of export (MT) of fresh fruit grew at an average annual rate of 7.65% reaching the
2,876,947MT in 2013 from 2,192,533MT in 2008. During 2009 and 2010, the volume of export had
declined due to the economic crisis that affected the importing countries. Afterwards, this had steadily
increased with the recovery of the economies of these improting countries until 2013 (Fig. 12).

The major importing countries are Japan (32% of the volume), China (14%), South Korea (13%), United
Arab Emirates (13%) , Singapore (6%) , USA (4%) and Iran (4%) in 2013. Japan is stiil considered as the
premium market by the exporters. The USA is the newest market which was opened a few years ago.
Table 2 presents data for the total production, area planted, average yield/ha, export volume and farm
gate price of banana from 2008 to 2013.

Pineapple

Unlike banana, pineapple production in the country is concentrated in few provinces namely Laguna,
Cavite, Camarines Norte, Southern Leyte, Bukidnon, Davao and South Cotabato. The farms are generally
small in size (1-2ha) which caters to the local market except for the farms managed by two
multinationals (Del Monte and Dole) situated in Bukidnon, Davao and South Cotabato, both for fresh
fruit and processed products. The cultivars grown are ‘Cayenne’, ‘Queen’/’Formosa’ and ‘Red Spanish’.
The former two cultivars are utilized for fresh fruit and processing while the latter cultivar is for fiber
utilized in making pi?a cloth. Harvesting is done all-year round with peak period during the months of
April to June in small farms. The common planting materials utilized in small farms are suckers and slips
while crown areas are managed by mutinational companies. These planting materials were taken from
the previous crop grown by farmers/multinationals.

Production and hectarage. The total production and area planted to pineapple from 2008-2013 is
shown in Fig. 13. From 2008-2010, production had decreased which afterwards had steadily increased
reaching 245,842MT in 2013. This is translated into an average annual growth rate of 2.20%. In terms
of area planted to this crop, this had flactuated over the six-year period. However, it had shown an
average of annual growth rate of 0.86% from 58,251ha in 2008 to 60,750ha in 2013. ‘Cayenne’ is
generally planted in the provinces of Laguna and Cavite as well as the areas managed by the
multinationals in the provinces of Bukidnon, Davao and South Cotabato. For ‘Queen’ these are planted
in the provinces of Camarines Norte and Southern Leyte while ‘Red Spanish’, this is planted in Panay
island particularly in the provinces of Antique and Aklan.

On a regional level, Fig. 14 shows the area planted to pineapple which are concentrated in
CALABARZON, (Laguna and Cavite), Bicol Region (Camarines Norte), Northern Mindanao (Bukidnon),
Davao Region (Davao) and SOCCKSARGEN (South Cotabato). The Del Monte and Dole pineapple farms
are located in Bukidnon and South Cotabato, respectively where they have their processing plants.
Moreover, their production system is highly intensive and a high degree of mechanization is employed.

Yield. The average yield/ha from 2008 to 2013 ranged from 37.05-41.02MT/ha with an average of
38.60MT/ha. During the same time period, it exhibited an average annual growth rate of 1.38% (Fig.
15). Generally, higher average yield was obtained in ‘Cayenne’ compared to’Queen’ and ‘Red Spanish’
due to bigger fruit size.
Utilization. Fig. 16 shows the utilization of harvested fruit amounting to 2,458,420 MT in 2013. These
are broken into: a) 41% as total net food disposable; b) 37% for processing; c) 17% for export (fresh
fruit); and d) 5% as feeds/wastes. For the mutinational companies, fruit are utilized both as fresh fruit
for the domestic and export markets and as processing material (canned pineapple in syrup and
puree/juice). The primary cultivar used for processing is ‘Cayenne’.

Farmgate price. This had steadily increased from 2008 to 2013 with an annual avearge growth rate of
2.82%, 7.71% and 3.07% for ‘Queen’, ‘Cayenne’ and Native, respectively. For ‘Cayenne’, its farmgate
price increased from Php 5.02/kg in 2008 to Php 7.08/kg in 2013. A similar situation can be observed in
‘Queen’ and Native wherein farm gate prices were Php 5.39/kg and Php 6.75/kg in 2008 to Php 6.04/kg
and Php 7.64/kg in 2013, respectively (Fig. 17).

Export. Pineapple is exported both in fresh and processed forms. This is particularly being done by the
two multinational companies operating in the country. Fig. 17 shows the volume of fresh fruit exported
by the country from 2008-2013. Just like in banana, the volume of export declined from 2008-2010 and
steadily increased from 2011-2013. Overall, the average annual gowth rate reached 11.33%. The major
markets are Japan (87% of the volume), South Korea (5%), and China (5%). Aside from fesh fruit, the
country is also exporting dried, preserved (in syrup) and puree/juice.

All numerical data on production. Area, average yields and volume of fresh fruit export and farm gate
prices of pineapple grown in the Philippines from 2008-2013 is shown in Table 3.

Mango

This crop is grown througout the country. However, areas with distinct wet and dry season are
conducive for better productivity. The cultivars grown are ‘Carabao’, ‘Pico’ and ‘Katchamita’ or
popularly known as Indian. The latter cultivar is generally consumed as green mango. The industry is
anchored on large backyard trees scattered in the various farms/regions of the country wherein minimal
care is being done by farmers. It is only in the last 10-15 years wherein monocropping had been
undertaken in areas greater than five ha. ‘Carabao’ and its several strains are the most popular cultivar
being grown in the country. It is available in the market all-year round with peak period of harvesting
during the months of April and May. Cleft-grafted seedlings are used as planting materials. These can be
both obtained from government and private murseries all over the country. An
accreditation/certification program for asexually propagated planting material produced by private
nurseries is being instituted by the Bureau of Plant Industry.
Production and hectarage. Productivity of mango in the country is dependent on the weather pattern
experienced in a particular year. Occurrence of ‘El Nino’ provided a good climatic condition for
flowering and subsequent fruit setting and development while ‘La Nina’ resulted into lower yield due to
the destruction of flowers/fruits due to anthracnose infection. Fig. 19 shows the total production and
area devoted to mango production in the country from 2008-2013. In terms of production, this had
fluctuated over the six-year period with the highest production (884,011MT) in 2008 and the lowest
(771,441MT) in 2009. By 2013, this had reached 816,199MT with an average annual growth rate of -
1.52%. on the other hand, the avearge annual growth rate for the area devoted to mango production
exhibited a positive 0.45% with 183,770ha in 2008 to 187,838MT in 2013. The highest area devoted to
mango reached 189,437ha in 2010.

On a regional level, the major production areas are Central Luzon, Ilocos Region, Davao Region,
Zambonga Peninsula and SOCCSKSARGEN (Fig. 20). Complimentary to the harvesting period in the
different areas, the availability of fruit all-year round in the domestic market became possible.

Yield. The average yield obtained during this six year period ranged from 4.07MT/ha to 4.81MT/ha with
an average of 4.32MT/ha (Fig. 21). In terms of average annual growth rate, it exhibited a negative trend
amounting to -1.71%/annum. This observation is similar to the total production during this time period
since productivity per unit area is a function of the total production achieved during this time period.

Utilization. In 2013, 93% of the total production was used as net food disposable , 1.1% for the export
market and 5.9% as feeds/waste.

Farmgate price. Among the different varieties grown in the country,’Carabao’ had the highest price
since this is the primary cultivar for both domestic and export markets. This ranged from Php 28.22/kg
to Php 29.46/kg with an average of Php 28.98/kg. On the other hand, ‘Katchamita’ had the least with
an average farmgate price of Php7.19/kg during this six-year period. The annual average growth rate is -
0.36%, 5.27% and 0.77% for ‘Carabao’, ‘Katchamita’ and ‘Pico’, respectively (Fig. 22).

Export. Mango is another export commodity of the country. These are in form of fresh fruit, dried,
juice/puree and preserved. Fig. 23 shows the volume of fresh mango exported for the period covering
2008-2013. From 2008-2012, the volume of exports declined from 20,845MT in 2008 to 18,440 in 2012.
Furthermore, it can be observed that there was a dramatic decrease in fresh fruit export in 2013 by
almost 360% amounting to 5,076 MT. This was attributed to some production problems leading to the
decrease in fruit quality. At the same time, this was compounded by quarantine regulations of the
importing countries. This had led into annual average growth rate of -16.74%. However, 11,429 MT was
also exported in form of dried, juice/puree and preserved.

The major importing countries are Japan (34.4% of the total volume), Hongkong (27.4%) and South
Korea (25.3%) in 2013.

All the numerical data on total production, area planted, average yield/ha, volume of export and farm
gateprices of mango are shown in Table 4.

Papaya

Papaya is grown in small farms (1-5 ha) with productivity period of 3-4 years. The major varieties grown
are ‘Cavite Special’, ‘Sinta’ and Solo (yellow and red flesh). ‘Sinta’ is a popular variety being grown by
farmers due to its moderate resistance to papaya ringspot which is prevalent in the growing areas in
Luzon. Harvesting is done all-year round. Seeds is the primary planting material used by farmers. For
‘Sinta’, this is distributed and marketed by a private seed company.

Production and hectarage. Fig. 24 shows the total production and area planted to papaya in 2008 till
2013. A decreasing trend in both production and area was exhibited during this period such that the
average annual growth rates are negative amounting to -1.81% and 1.80%, respectively. This is brought
about by the occurrence of papaya ringspot in the major growing areas. From 182,910MT production in
2008, this had decreased to 166,260MT in 2013 while in area, from 9,175 ha in 2008 to 8,377 ha in 2013.

On a regional level, the major growing area are SOCCSKSARGEN, Northern Mindano, Western Visayas
and Central Luzon in terms of area devoted to this crop (Fig. 25). For SOCCSKSARGEN and Northern
Mindanao areas, these serves the need of the Dole and Del Monte, respectively for ther mixed fruit
preparation.

Yield. The average yield (MT/ha) almost remained similar from year to year from 2008-2013. This
ranged from 18.62MT/ha to 19.94MT/ha with an average of 19.41MT/ha. During this time period, the
graph exhibited a U-shape pattern with the lowest average yield (18.62MTt/ha) was obtained in 2011
(Fig. 26). In terms of the average annual growth rate, it amounted to -0.06% which signifies a very
minimal decrease in average annual yield of papaya.

Utilization. In 2013, the total production of papaya was 166,260 MT. wherein 91.5% were utilized as
net food disposable, 3.0% for export and 5.5% for feed/waste.
Farmgate price. Fig. 27 shows the annual farmgate prices of four varieties of papaya, namely Hawaiian,
Native, ‘Sinta’ and ‘Solo’ from 2008-2013. Farmgate prices of all the varieties fluctuated during this time
period. However, ‘Solo’, Hawaiian, and ‘Sinta’ exhibited a positive avearge annual growth rate
amounting to 22.62%, 8.66% and 0.31%, respectively. This is expected since total production of papaya
in the country had a decreasing trend during this time period.

‘Solo’ had the highest farmgate price (Php 14.72/kg, 2013) since this is the type that is preferred in the
export market and the most expensive in the domestic market due to its excellent eating quality and
shelf life. Large–fruited varieties such as ‘Sinta’ (Php 13.38/kg, 2013) and Hawaiian (Php 6.76/kg, 2013)
are preferred in the domestic market and for processing due to its large fruit size.

Export. The volume of export of fresh fruit papaya form 2008-2013 exhibited a U-shaped pattern with
2,878MT in 2008 and declining to 1,391 MT in 2010 followed with an increased pattern reaching
5,002mt in 2013 (Fig. 28). This is translated into an average annual growth rate of 23.89%.

The main markets for fresh papaya fruit export are Japan and Singapore. In addition, export of dried
papaya mixed or not mixed with other fruits and pickled (“achara”) amounted to 68MT in 2023.

Table 5 shows the numerical data for total production, area planted, average yield/ha, farm gate prices
and volume of fresh fruit exports of papaya in the Philippines from 2008-2013.

Calamondin

Calamondin belongs to the Family Rutaceae and is locally known as “calamansi’. Its primary usage is for
souring food and juice/puree. There is no known varieties of this commoidty. This is available in the
market whole-year round with peak harvesting period during the months of July to September. It is
propagated through grafting/budding with ‘Calamandarin’ as roostock. Planting materials are available
in various government and private nurseries.

Production and hectarage. The total production and area planted to calamondin in the country from
2008-2013 is shown in Fig. 29.
Both production and area had exhibited a decresaiong trend for this six-year period with 199,675MT and
20,956ha in 2013 to 164,050MT and 20,246 ha in 2013, respectively. The rate of annual decline in
production is higher compared to those as manifested by the average annual negative growth rate of -
3.83% and -0.68%, respectively. This can be attributed to the presence of the greening disease or ”
huanglubin’ in most growing areas that led to the decline in yield and subsequently, to the death of the
trees.

On a regional level, the main growing areas are MIMAROPA (6,872ha), Central Luzon (1,734ha) and
Ilocos Region (1,026ha) in Luzon while in Mindanao, it is in Davao Region (1,797ha), CARAGA (1,412ha)
and Zamboanga Peninsula (1,077ha). Complementation of the production in Luzon with that of
Mindanao assures the availability of fresh fruit all-year round (Fig. 30).

Yield. Just like in total production and area, the average yield (MT/ha) had been steadily decreasing
over this six-year period from 9.53MT/ha in 2008 to 8.10MT/ha in 2013 (Fig. 31). This is translated into
a negative average annual growth rate of -3.18 which is almost the same magnitude as that of total
production (-3.83).

Utilization. Out of the total production of 164,050MT in 2013, 93% of the volume are used as net food
disposable while the remaining percentage was considered for export and feed/waste.

Farmgate price. During this six-year period, the annual farmgate price of calamondin had been
increasing with the highest price of Php 23.13/kg achieved in 2013. This had declined to PhP 17.73/kg in
2013 which is much higher than the farmgate price of Php 13.28/kg in 2008. This can be possibly
attributed to the reduction of supply of the fresh fruit in the market (Fig. 32).

Export. A minimal volume of calamondin (fresh fruit) was exported ranging from 20-35MT from 2008 to
2013 with an average of 29.5MT/annum. In addition 144MT in form of juice/concentrate were also
exported in 2013. The major markets were Hongkong, United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia.

All numerical data on total production, area planted, average yield farmgate price and volume for export
(fresh fruit) is shown in Table 6.

Durian

This is primarily grown in Mindanao, particularly in the Davao Region. Several varieties are being grown
by the farmers, namely ‘Chanee’, ‘Mon thong’, ‘Arancillo’, ‘GD 69’, ‘Puyat’, etc. Peak harvesting period
occurs during the months of September to November. It is propagated through cleft grafting. Planting
materials are available from both government and private nurseries.

Production and hectarage. The total production and area planted to durian from 2008 to 2013 is shown
in Fig. 33. Production had been increasing during this six-year period with 51,399MT in 2008 to
91,212MT in 2013. This is translated into an average annual gowth rate of 15.10%. On the other hand,
a dramatic decrease in area planted to durian was observed in 2013 (15% from the previous year) after a
continuing increasing trend from 2008 till 2012 reaching 19,329 ha (Fig. 33). This can be attributed to
the attack of root rot organism, Phytophtora sp. resulting in the death of trees. This had resulted in the
negative average annual growth rate amounting to -2.04%.

As earlier mentioned, Mindanao is the primary growing area for durian (Fig. 34). The three major regions
where durain is being grown are Davao Region (11,540ha), SOCCSKSARGEN (1,930ha) and Northern
Mindanao (1,425ha). These areas have the favorable soil and climatic condition for excellent growth and
developemnt of durian.

Yield. The average yield of durian ranged from 2.80MT/ha to 5.57MT/ha with an average of
3.83MT/ha/yr during this six-year period. This is represented by an average annual growth rate of
17.71% reaching 5.57MT/yr in 2013 (Fig. 35). This resulted in the rapid increase in total production even
though the area cultivated had a modest increase. Much more in 2013 wherein, total production had
increased even though there was a decline of 15% in the area devoted to this commodity.

Utilization. Out of the total production of 91,212MT in 2013, 94% are utilized as net food disposable
while the remaining 6% were for export and feed./waste. A total of 13MT of fresh fruit was exported in
2013.

Farmgate price. Durian is one of the prized fruit in the country. Fig. 36 shows the annual average prize of
durian in the country. Due to increasing production, the average farmgate price had declined from Php
32.82/kg in 2008 to Php 23.95/kg in 2013. This amounted to an avearge annual growth rate of - 4.47%.

All the numerical data for total production, area planted, average yield/ha, and annual farmgate price of
durian is exhibited in Table 7.

Jackfruit
This is generally grown as a backyard crop by farmers. Several varieties had been recommended for
planting by the National Seed Industry Council (NSIC) namely ‘EVIARC Sweet’,’Cervantes Gold’, ‘Elondo’,
‘Sinapelo’, ‘Torres’, ‘Mabini’, etc. This is harvested all-year round with peak period during the months of
April and May. It is propagated either by seed or cleft grafting. Planting materials are available in
selected government and private nurseries. The fruit are generally used for food and processed into
preserved in syrup. Immature fruit are also utilized as vegetable.

Production and hectarage. Fig. 37 shows the total production and area planted to jackfruit from 2008 to
2013. Generally, total production had declined during the six-year period from 51,714MT in 2008 to
46,080MT in 2013. This is translated into a negative average annual growth rate of -2.27%. For the area
planted, there was minimal increase in hectarage from 14,419 ha in 2008 to 14,526ha in 2013 with an
average annual growth rate of 0.15%. The decline in the total production can be attributed to the
infestation of fruif fly that resulted in fruit rotting/dropping.

On the regional level, the main growing areas are Western Visayas (1,813ha), Zambonga Peninsula
(1,769ha), Bicol Region (1,668ha), Northern Mindanao (1,559ha) and CALABARZON (1,557ha) (Fig. 38).

Yield. The average yield (MT/ha) was slightly declining from 3.59MT/ha in 2008 to 3.17MT/ha in 2013 at
an average annual rate of 2.45%. This is attributed to the declining total production since the area
planted had not dramatically increased during this time period (Fig. 39).

Farmgate price. The framgate price of jackfruit had increased slightly during the six-year period from
Php 12.36/kg in 2008 to Php 12.47/kg in 2013. The highest price was Php 13.49/kg which occurred in
2010 with the lowest at Php 11.96 in 2012. Overall, the average price for this six-year period was Php
12.61/kg. This represents an average annual growth rate of 0.33% (Fig. 40).

All numerical data on total production, area planted, average yield/ha and average annual farm gate
price of jackfruit grown in the Philippines is shown in Table 8.

Lanzones

This commodity is grown as an intercrop under coconut since it requires a certain degree of shading for
proper growth and development. The varieties planted by farmers are: a) Paete; b) Duku; and c) Long
kong. This is propagated by grafting/budding. Planting materials are available on both governement
and private nurseries. The fruit are generally eaten.
Production and hectarage. For the six-year period, data exhibited extensive fluctuation on the volume of
production. In 2008, 2011 and 2012, the volume of production reached 7,407MT, 4,256MT and
4,190MT, respectively while for 2009, 2010 and 2013, this had increased several fold with 15,341MT,
49,500MT and 35,207MT, respectively. In terms of area, this had not changed very much during this
time period (Fig. 41). This fluctuating volume of production can be attributed to the ways that farmers
do not provide plants with proper cultural management especially fertilzation and pest control. Hence,
the intervening period between the low and high yield represents the time for recovery of the plants.

On the regional level, Fig. 42 shows the distribution of areas/regions planted to lanzones in 2013. The
major regions are CALABARZON (4,423 ha) in Luzon and the rest are in Mindanao in Northern Mindanao
(3,341 ha), Davao Region (2,144 ha), Zambonga Peninsula (1,965ha) and SOCCSKSARGEN (1,298 ha).

Yield. The annual average yield (MT/ha) also fluctuated from a low of 0.21MT/ha in 2011 to as high as
2.4MT/ha in 2010 since this is a function of the total production and at the area planted for this
commodity (Fig. 43). During the six-year period, the average yield was 1.03MT/ha/yr.

All numerical data on total production, area planted, and average yield/ha of lanzones grown in the
Philippines is shown in Appendix Table 9.

Dragon fruit, guava and passion fruit

These fruit species are grown as a backyard crop in the country. Dragon fruit is becoming popular among
growers. They prefer either the red- or white-flesh variety. Farms (1-5ha) are starting to be established
in the different regions of the country. The total production, area planted and annual average yield for
these fruit species cover the period from 2008-2012 is shown below:

For dragon fruit and passion fruit, an increasing trend in terms of total production and area planted was
observed from 2008-2012 while for guava, it exhibited a decreasing trend. However, there was a
continuous decline in the annual average yield in dragon fruit from 5.31MT/ha in 2008 to 1.40MT/ha in
2013 which amounted to a reduction of 27.84% /annum.

The average annual yield of guava ranged from 1.99MT/ha to 2.2MT/ha with the highest occuring in
2010. During the six-year time period, the mean yield amounted to 1.99MT/ha. In passion fruit, the
average annual yield ranged from 2.25MT/ha to 10.34MT/ha with a mean yield of 4.56MT/ha.
Banana production for the period April to June 2018 reached 2.36 million metric tons. It was 3.8 percent
higher than the 2.27 million metric tons during the same period of 2017. The increment was brought
about by the following:

recovery from the damages caused by Typhoon Lawin in Cagayan Valley during the 4th quarter of 2016;

more hills bore fruits in ARMM while bigger fruits were harvested in SOCCSKSARGEN due to moderate
rainfall during fruit development; and

increased number of bearing hills of Cavendish banana and more fertilizer usage in Davao Region.

Davao Region recorded the highest share of 39.6 percent of total banana production followed by
Northern Mindanao and SOCCSKSARGEN with 17.8 percent and 12.2 percent respectively.

Cavendish variety accounted for 51.7 percent or 1.22 million metric tons of the country’s total banana
production. Moreover, Saba variety shared 29.0 percent while Lakatan and Other varieties shared more
than 9.0 percent each.