Thailand eyes value of durian exports of 1 trillion baht
Thailand is preparing to enact legislation that will regulate the export of young durians in an attempt to serve markets with only the highest quality fruit. The move comes in response to the growing demand for durian, particularly in China, which is increasing steadily each year.
While Thailand has long been a leader in durian exports, the emergence of competitors in ASEAN and China, who are beginning to cultivate and export durians to the market, poses a challenge. To address this, Thailand should focus on maintaining the quality of exported durians and expanding its market share. The current government's goal is to achieve one trillion baht in durian exports in the future.
In the Cabinet meeting on April 9, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin instructed the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives to propose ministry regulations setting standards for durians. The aim is to maintain the quality of Thai durians for export and prevent the sale of immature fruit.
Processing and packaging facilities for durians must hold certification in line with the standards and use the criteria for inspecting dry weight percentage in the durian flesh. The standards for dry weight percentage for each type of durian are as follows:
Monthong Durian: Must have a dry weight percentage of not less than 32%.
Change Durian: Must have a dry weight percentage of not less than 32%.
Kradum Durian: Must have a dry weight percentage of not less than 28%.
This announcement will be enforced one year from now.
Prime Minister’s Office spokesman Chai Wacharonke explained that legislation preventing the clandestine cutting and selling of unripe durians would enable both control and standardisation of Thai durian exports.
“It will also enhance competitiveness, as Thailand is a leading exporter of durians globally, with the fruit being a lucrative export commodity generating revenue of up to 120 billion baht in the past year alone. Thailand can produce 900,000 tons of durians annually, with domestic consumption at 300,000 tons and nearly all the remaining produce being exported to China,” Chai said.
“Consumption of durians in the Chinese market is trending upward, with expectations of an increase of over 1 million tons in demand this year alone. It is also anticipated that durian consumption will grow to 15 times its current level in the future, reaching around 15 million tons. Thailand hopes that in the future, it will be able to significantly increase the export value of durians to reach up to 1 trillion baht," Chai added.
