90% of durians imported by China come from Thailand: Agriculture Dept
Ninety per cent of durian imported by China now comes from Thailand, according to data released by the Department of Agriculture.
Thailand fed China’s huge appetite for the pungent spiky fruit by exporting 779,206 tonnes between February 1 and November 24 this year, generating 82.8 billion baht in revenue, government spokesperson Anucha Burapachaisri said on Monday.
"All thanks to Thailand's success in fruit export development," he said.
Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha had also urged agencies and producers to help boost foreigners’ confidence in the quality of Thai durian, Anucha said.
The PM’s intervention comes after controversy over reportedly unripe and substandard durian being sent for export by Thailand.
Anucha advised to growers to check for three signs of ripeness:
1. The durian’s stem must be dark brown, swollen and rough.
2. The spikes should be spread out and springy when squeezed together, with dark brown, dry and brittle tips.
3. The interior fruit lobes or segmentation must be clearly visible.
Meanwhile, Covid-19 is also a concern after China briefly banned Thai durian shipments earlier this year following the discovery of virus-contaminated fruit.
Anucha hailed Thailand’s durian exports as yet another success for the Kingdom’s fruit quality, standards and export management.
These were part of Thailand's five-year (2022-2027) fruit development plan covering production, transport and exports, he added.
"The plan also focuses on sharing information between related agencies to further develop and manage the Thai fruit trade in the future,” he said.
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