China's first durian crop disappoints

The first durian harvest in Hainan Island (China) is estimated at 50 tons, only 2% of the estimate given by CCTV in March.

This information was recently quoted by South China Morning Post as shared by Mr. Phung Hoc Kiet, Director of the Tropical Fruit Institute under the Hainan Academy of Agricultural Sciences, in response to CCTV channel last weekend.

The figure represents 2 percent of the 2,450-ton output estimate CCTV released in March and only meets 0.005 percent of China’s total durian demand this year. This is the first year Hainan has harvested durian on a large scale after more than four years of cultivation.

Last month, the Red Star News media outlet also quoted Mr. Phung as saying that the March figure was “overestimated,” as no large areas had yet produced fruit. Currently, only some durian lots are flowering, while others are not.

In a March report, Chinese media said Sanya's durian plantations spanned 700 hectares, but Feng said they were only about 70 hectares. "Therefore, it may take several years for Hainan to produce enough durian to bring down domestic prices," Feng told Chinese media.

Durian trees in Hainan province are "still immature", and many trees are not producing much fruit. Photo: China News Agency

Mr. Phung added that the durians harvested this month will be distributed to potential customers in Hainan to develop the market, and the rest can be consumed by local tourists . Therefore, consumers in other areas cannot buy the fruit even though it is available.

China is betting that domestic crops will help drive down durian prices and boost the country’s agricultural trade. But the yield and quality of this first harvest have disappointed consumers, and prices for the fruit imported from Southeast Asia into China are still rising rapidly, according to the South China Morning Post .

Meanwhile, in Vietnam, the export value of durian in the first four months of the year reached more than 190 million USD, a sharp increase of 573% compared to the same period last year - China accounted for 84.3% of the total export value of this fruit.

Consumers are paying around 349 yuan ($50) for 7kg (15lbs) of durian from Vietnam on e-commerce site JD.com and have to order in advance. Durian from Thailand and Malaysia is selling out on Tmall, the online shopping platform run by Taobao.

Other countries are also tapping into China's growing demand for durian.

In January, the Philippines signed a trade agreement with China during President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s visit to Beijing, and the deal is expected to generate $260 million in revenue for the Philippine durian industry. The first shipment of the country’s durians, totaling 28 tons, arrived in China on April 6, according to the Philippine Department of Agriculture.

Hong Chau

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