China’s durian output to quadruple in 2024, processing poised to permeate with demand ‘on a rapid rise’

China expects to quadruple home-grown durian output this year as demand for the pungent fruit has shown no signs of abating, while its two top suppliers — Thailand and Vietnam — are aiming to consolidate their market dominance and tap further into the burgeoning industrial chain.

Chinese-produced durians are likely to be available to the public in July, with production likely to reach 200 tonnes by the end of the year, Feng Xuejie, director of the Institute of Tropical Fruit Trees at the Hainan Academy of Agricultural Sciences, said on Monday.

Durian has also become a latecomer in China’s US$1 trillion-plus food processing industry.

Some producers have already innovated with a range of processed durian products, such as cakes, bubble tea, coffee and even hotpot, which are more affordable than fresh durian, and have become increasingly popular among younger consumers.

Huang Zheng’en, the president of Hainan Academy of Agricultural Sciences, said the province should expand its industrial chain to increase the value of durian products and nurture local brands.

“Hainan should launch a durian processing industry based on the production scale, to lengthen the industry chain of this product, and increase their added value,” Huang said, the Hainan Daily reported in January.

The province is also looking to complete China’s first durian processing plant in August, the state-backed China Daily newspaper said in March.

China, which is the world’s largest durian consumer, imported 1.4 million tonnes (3 billion pounds) in 2023, up by nearly 70 per cent from the previous year.

“China has very limited arable land to grow durian,” added Feng.

“In the future, the country needs to expand more durian processing industries, create a complete