King of imports: China’s durian market continued to be top target for exporting countries
China’s appetite for durians had been on the rise over the past few years, and its status as the top export destination for major durian-producing countries worldwide such as Malaysia and Thailand was unlikely to waiver any time soon.
According to data from the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of the People’s Republic of China, the country imported some US$963mn or 358,000 tons of durian in the first half of 2019, more than doubling both in value and volume from 2018.
The majority of durian imports so far have been from Thailand, but after Malaysia secured an export deal in August 2018 for whole frozen durians, the tides look to be slowly but surely turning in its favour, particularly when concerning China’s favourite durian variant, the famed Musang King which could reach over US$100 per fruit in the country.
China’s incessant demand for durian had not only driven prices up, but also led to real estate experts predicting that durian plantations would invoke a boost in local agricultural land value in the coming year.
