More choices, lower price, Chinese consumers embrace durian harvest season

A worker packs durians at a processing factory in Chanthaburi, Thailand, April 26, 2024. (Xinhua/Wang Teng)

NANNING, May 29 (Xinhua) -- It is May and markets across China are bursting with durians, as it is peak harvest season across the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), the main exporter of this popular fruit.

At Dongxing Port in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, south China, many durian stalls crowd both sides of the street, and the vendors' hawking fills the air.

"This year, there are more varieties of durians for us to choose from. The durian I just bought is golden and has a strong fragrance," said a tourist.

In May, the domestic Chinese market has more than a dozen varieties of durian available to buyers.

As durian supplies continue to increase, prices have dropped, too. The harvest in eastern Thailand has been particularly bountiful this year, and the scale of durian exports to China has continued to expand.

Staff members label durians to be exported to China at a durian processing plant in Dak Lak province, Vietnam, Sept. 15, 2023. (Xinhua/Hu Jiali)

At the same time, the number of durians exported from Vietnam to the Chinese market through Youyiguan Port has gradually increased. As the third country allowed to export fresh durians to the Chinese market, the Philippines also plans to increase its scale of durian exports.

"In April, the wholesale price of Monthong durian was about 64 yuan (about 9 U.S. dollars) per kg, and in late May, the wholesale price dropped to 48 yuan per kg, and some varieties of durian were even less than 40 yuan per kg," said Guan Caixia, a durian dealer in Nanning, capital of Guangxi.

Right now, at Youyiguan Port on the Sino-Vietnamese border, Vietnamese durians are enjoying smooth export to the Chinese market thanks to transportation advantages.

Guangxi Yunduoduo Supply Chain Management Co., Ltd. has signed cooperation agreements with some orchards and packaging factories in Vietnam in recent years, and is committed to promoting the export of more high-quality Vietnamese durians to the Chinese market.

A staff member (L) processes custom clearance documents at the port of the Friendship Pass in Pingxiang, south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, on Sept. 12, 2023. (Xinhua/Cao Yiming)

"Vietnamese durian will enjoy a large share in the Chinese market in the future, and the northern areas of Vietnam are actively planning to cultivate more durians," said Lu Yilang, assistant to the chairman of the company.

During the durian peak season, Chinese consumers have more choices. From traditional offline purchases to online platform orders, various and convenient purchase methods continue to boost durian sales from ASEAN countries in the Chinese market.

In recent years, Chinese consumers' love of durian has increased, and China's durian consumption market is constantly expanding, said Lei Xiaohua, a researcher with the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies, Guangxi Academy of Social Sciences.

For durian exporting countries, in the short term, lowering prices can boost sales, but in the long run, improving durian quality and growing efficiency is a sustainable solution, Lei added.