"As Durian Sales Boomed in China, Thai Farmers Abandon Crops to Switch to Durian Cultivation"

Thai Farmers Increase Durian Cultivation to Meet China's Demand

Rising Vietnamese Imports and Growing Domestic Production in China Pose New Challenges

As demand for durian in China increases, more farms in Thailand are replacing traditional crops such as coffee and natural rubber with durian cultivation.

Durian from Thailand is displayed at a supermarket in Beijing, China. Photo by AFP Yonhap News

According to Nikkei on the 28th, rising durian prices have sparked a trend across Thailand and other Southeast Asian countries of farmers abandoning existing crops to switch to durian cultivation.

This trend is driven by the emergence of China as the world’s largest consumer market for durian. Including both fresh and frozen products, durians accounted for nearly half of China’s total fruit import value last year. Among Thailand's exports to China, durian accounted for the largest share.

A farmer in Phato, Chumphon province in southern Thailand, who previously grew mangosteen, switched to durian when prices rose. “Currently, the price of durian has dropped by more than 10 baht per kilogram compared to its peak between 2020 and 2024, but my income has actually increased as yields have grown,” he said.

Until just four years ago, Thailand virtually monopolized the market for fresh durian in China. Even as production increased, Chinese demand outstripped supply, driving prices up. However, the situation changed in 2022 when China allowed imports of Vietnamese durian. Last year, China’s imports of fresh durian from Vietnam reached 941,004 tons, surpassing the 920,749 tons imported from Thailand.

The photo is unrelated to the specific content of the article. Pixabay

Over the medium to long term, the expansion of durian production within China is seen as a risk factor. Although the scale of commercial cultivation in Yunnan and Hainan provinces is still limited, production volumes continue to rise. If China expands domestic production and reduces reliance on imports, the market position of Thai durians may be weakened.

Stricter quarantine measures by China are also a variable. As quality and safety controls on imported durian become increasingly important, the burdens on Thai farmers and exporters are also growing.

High demand from China presents both an opportunity and a risk for Thai farmers. The Thai government is attempting to expand export markets to India, the European Union, and the United States, but the strong odor unique to durian could make it challenging to broaden its appeal overseas. With virtually no large overseas markets outside China, if the number of durian farmers continues to rise, there is a possibility that prices may fall.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.