Local agri firm inks agreement for durian plantations in PH

Go Negosyo founder and ASEAN Business Advisory Council (BAC)–Philippines chair Joey Concepcion (seated, second from right) witnesses the signing of the MOU on durian between the Philippines’s Yovel East Research and Development, Inc. and Malaysia’s Bornion Green Sdn Bhd last January 16, 2025 in Penang, Malaysia. The MOU leverages the complementary durian harvesting seasons in the Philippines and Malaysia, and harnesses the expertise and resources of both countries.

One of the pioneer agriculture companies of Go Negosyo’s development program for micro, small, and medium enterprise has inked an agreement with a Malaysian firm to put up new durian plantations in the country.

Go Negosyo, the advocacy arm of the Philippine Center for Entrepreneurship (PCE), said Yovel East Research and Development Inc. had signed a memorandum of understanding with Malaysia’s Bornion Green SDN BHD.

“The plantations will be in the Philippines, hopefully giving employment to more Filipinos and putting to good use the many farmlands that are suitable for durian planting,” said Go Negosyo founder Jose Ma. “Joey” A. Concepcion III.

“With these agreements, we give the farmers under Yovel East’s management access to money, markets, and mentorship, the three essentials of successful entrepreneurship which we emphasize in our work at Go Negosyo,” he said further.

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Concepcion also said that the agreement with Bornion is timely, as Malaysia and the Philippines can now meet the global demand for durian year-round.

Additionally, the company has also signed a memorandum of agreement with Land Bank of the Philippines, combining the company’s expertise in farm clustering under its We Will Rice program and the bank’s financial support through its Agrisenso Plus Lending Program.

Go Negosyo touted that it has been instrumental in strengthening private sector participation in the development of MSMEs through its various programs promoting MSME access to money, markets, and mentorship.

Concepcion said they had shared this advocacy in the ASEAN region through his chairmanship of the ASEAN Business Advisory Council (BAC) Philippines.

“The connections made by ASEAN BAC Malaysia were crucial in paving the way for this important partnership in durian,” Concepcion said.

“We look forward to facilitating similar agreements with the private sector of the other ASEAN member-states,” he added.

Yovel East is one of Go Negosyo’s Kapatid Angat Lahat Agri Program (KALAP), the goal of which is to integrate small farmers into the value chain of the large agricultural companies.

It is also a participant in the ASEAN Food Security Alliance (AFSA), which encompasses several private sector initiatives to enhance regional cooperation on agriculture and food security.