In addition, out of China’s 1.4 billion population, less than 10% have tasted the thorny fruit so far, according to Cheng Meng, CEO of listed company NutryFarm, which wants to make the export of durians to China as its new key business.
Durian, dubbed The King among all tropical fruits, has found a growing legion of fans in temperate China. Having tried different varieties of the fruit — from “Musang King” to “D24” to “Golden Pillow — during their holidays to Southeast Asia, many Mainlanders have acquired a taste of it.
According to United Nations data, China imported US$2.3 billion ($3.1 billion) worth of durians in 2020, a fourfold increase from 2017. And unfortunately for durian lovers in the region, demand from China for durians is expected to rise and rise, sending prices skywards.
