Lao durian has a big advantage in China thanks to cross-border railway

(Dan Tri) - Thanks to the China-Laos railway, Lao durian has a great competitive advantage in fast transportation and low cost, expanding export opportunities to the billion-people market.

According to information from the Import-Export Department ( Ministry of Industry and Trade ), Laos has just initiated a 25-year high-quality durian growing project, aiming to promote exports to China and improve product quality and quantity.

In the first phase of the project, the country will pilot a 6-hectare plantation in Vientiane to create a farm specializing in growing and propagating high-quality durian trees. The project will use modern farming methods based on research.

Laos aims to export 400 tonnes of premium durian to China by 2026, the Import-Export Department said. The China-Laos railway will shorten the transportation time to less than two days, thereby reducing logistics costs and preserving the freshness of the fruit.

By August, 150,000 tonnes of durian had been transported via this route, up 91% year-on-year.

According to authorities, the China-Laos railway has significantly boosted the durian trade by reducing damage and transportation costs. Improved logistics, including cold storage facilities, have allowed Lao durians to reach more Chinese provinces.

Roadside durian stall in Laos (Photo: Nikkei Asia).

In recent years, many Chinese businesses have flocked to Laos - a landlocked country with an ideal climate, low labor costs and large areas of land - to develop durian growing areas, with the goal of exporting this fruit to China, according to Nikkei Asia.

Laos is organizing training courses on cultivation techniques, garden management, disease prevention and processing to increase product value, and at the same time instructing farmers to meet standards and procedures for exporting fresh durian.

Regarding Vietnam's fruit and vegetable export situation, the Import-Export Department said that in September, Vietnam's fruit and vegetable exports to China reached 1.06 billion USD, up 57.1% over the previous month and up 50.2% over September 2024. In the first 9 months, the export value of fruit and vegetable products to China increased by 1.8% over the same period in 2024, reaching 3.9 billion USD.

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/kinh-doanh/sau-rieng-lao-co-loi-the-lon-tai-trung-quoc-nho-duong-sat-xuyen-quoc-gia-20251022114434360.htm