China's durian appetite cultivates new growth for Southeast Asian orchards

NANNING, May 8 (Xinhua) -- At a fruit logistics center in Pingxiang near the Friendship Pass, a key gateway for ASEAN produce in south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, the recent May Day holiday saw tourists and wholesalers crowding around neatly stacked durians, lured by the promise of fresher taste and hard-to-beat prices.

"Many visitors come for the border experience and pick up some durian as the ultimate souvenir," said Liu Xian, a local stall operator.

Industry insiders note that this is more than a seasonal craze; it is a structural shift. "As Chinese consumers grow more knowledgeable about varieties, ripeness, and texture, the market has moved from uniform pricing to tiered pricing," said Guan Caixia, an experienced durian trader in Guangxi.

In 2025, China imported a record 1.868 million tonnes of fresh durian. While Vietnam clinched 51 percent of the market share by volume, Thailand maintained its lead in total value, bolstered by the prestige of its Monthong variety, known as the "golden pillow."

Chinese consumers are paying more attention to traceability and quality consistency, and the emergence of e-commerce is creating new growth opportunities in lower-tier cities, so Southeast Asian producers are stepping up their game to remain competitive.

"Our edge lies in long-accumulated planting and export experience, internationally recognized quality control, and logistics tailored specifically to China," said Niti Pratoomvongsa, commercial counsellor at the Royal Thai Consulate-General in Nanning.

"Thai authorities also enforce Good Agricultural Practices from farm to port, working closely with Chinese inspectors to ensure traceability and monitor pesticide residues," Pratoomvongsa added.

Huang Meixia with the Charoen Pokphand (CP) Group noted that Thai exporters now grade durians into A, B, and C categories. A-grade fruit, characterized by four to five full lobes, is the market darling.

This has spurred both veteran and novice growers to invest in standardized farming and technology to hit the top quality tier consistently, Huang added.

The ripple effect has also reached Indonesia, which is emerging as a promising contender. The country has established 240 "durian villages" and introduced smart technology for real-time orchard monitoring.

This January, the first container of Indonesian frozen durian arrived at Guangxi's Qinzhou Port, signaling Indonesia's intent to capture a larger slice of China's 8-billion-U.S.-dollar (about 54.8 billion yuan) annual market.

The backbone of the booming trade is a rapidly evolving logistics network. Thai durians can now reach Kunming, the capital city of southwest China's Yunnan Province, via the China-Laos Railway in just 26 hours. During peak season, train frequencies jump from two to six daily trips, distributing the "king of fruits" to over 30 Chinese cities within 48 hours.

"Durian supply has become largely stabilized," said Wang Zhengbo, chairman of TWT Supply Chain, a Guangxi-based supply chain management firm. "It is now available nearly year-round."

"Durian is nowhere near market saturation in China," said Wang, as he noted that the consumer base has ballooned from tens of millions to more than 100 million.

From logistics to quality control, industry insiders believe that Chinese AI technologies are making their presence felt in the durian supply chain. The long-term outlook is undeniably promising, signaling a tech-driven evolution for the global durian trade.