Who will be China’s durian king when the market expands? Do Philippines, Malaysia have a shot?
- With the world’s durian crop expected to grow by as much as 10 per cent, exporters are making plans to conquer China’s large and growing market
- The Philippines and Malaysia, both major producers, are hoping to unseat Thailand as China’s pre-eminent supplier of the tropical fruit
The Philippines and Malaysia are getting ready to take on Thailand, the dominant exporter at present, over the next five years as all attempt to take the top spot as sellers of the pungent, spiky fruits in China.
The global durian market is set to expand by 7.51 per cent from 2023 to 2030, USD Analytics forecast in October, and fellow forecaster Research and Markets predicted a 9.77 per cent compound annual growth rate by 2030 in a report last month.
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Durians sell for staggering price of US$345 per kilogram at a market stall in Thailand
China makes up 95 per cent of global durian consumption, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.
The Chinese market has ample space to grow and supply would help lower prices, which consumers would welcome, said Zhao Xijun, a finance professor at Renmin University in Beijing.
“As far as the present goes, the price is pretty expensive, so the market is not saturated,” Zhao said. If China received more imports, he said, “the price would definitely come down”.
The price is so high that if you pick a bad one, it’ll affect your mood
Durian, which has become so popular it is known in some quarters as the “king of fruits”, varies in quality from one purchase to the next in China, some consumers said. The fruit, known for its strong smell, can cost anywhere from 100 to 200 yuan (US$14 to US$28) apiece.
