Durian production reduced by 90%!
The durian season is about to usher in, but Thailand, the main importer of durian in the mainland, has received news: the durian production in Nonthaburi Province in Thailand has fallen sharply this year, and it is expected to be only 10% of last year's output. Not only Thailand, but also some durian producing areas in Vietnam have also reported that due to the influence of climate and other factors, durian production is expected to be greatly reduced.
Durian production in Vietnam and Thailand
It is understood that the planting area of durian in Vietnam exceeds 112,000 hectares, accounting for 9% of the fruit planting area, with an output of 863,000 tons. The main sales markets for durian in Vietnam include the United States, Thailand, Japan and the United States. In 2023, Vietnam will export more than 603,000 tons of durian, of which the Chinese market will exceed 595,000 tons, accounting for 98.6%.
According to Vietnamese durian merchants, the production of Golden Pillow durian has decreased by 20~30% this year. "The supply is very scarce, and the price of grade A reaches up to 230,000 VND (about 66.7 yuan) per kilogram. Even then, it's not easy to buy. "Traders in Tien Giang province said that this year they can only purchase 5~15 tons of durian per day, compared to 30~40 tons last year. According to Vietnam's Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, this year's seawater intrusion in the Mekong Delta has exceeded normal levels, and seawater backflow has affected the normal growth of durians, resulting in reduced yields.
The 90% reduction in durian production mentioned at the beginning of the article is the situation in Nonthaburi in Thailand. Nonthaburi is a central province in Thailand, located on the banks of the Mekong River northwest of Bangkok. The local durian has a long history of cultivation and is known for its high quality, and is known as the best and most expensive durian in Thailand.
Local durian practitioners said that since the second half of last year, the El Niño phenomenon has caused the local climate to be changeable, and extreme weather has affected the flowering of durians, resulting in a large number of durian fruit trees unable to bear fruit and a sharp decline in production. The main ones affected are the popular varieties of Golden Pillow and Ganyao.
What is the impact of the reduced durian production in Thailand and Vietnam on the mainland market?
Why is the reduction of durian production abroad widely concerned by mainland consumers?
As we all know, mainland durian mainly relies on imports, according to relevant data, Vietnamese durian accounts for 31.8% of China's market share, and Thailand is about (68%). Last year, domestic durian was successfully planted in Hainan, and some of it has been picked and marketed this year. Due to the fact that it is just a trial planting and the planting area is small, it is expected that this year's output will be only 250 tons. This amount is far from meeting the demand compared to the huge consumption of the national market.
According to the data of the One Mu Field platform, durian is also a single product that is highly concerned by buyers. As a fruit with a unique flavor, durian is widely welcomed by consumers. Due to geographical conditions and climatic factors, there are few suitable places for durian cultivation in the mainland, and the domestic market mainly relies on imports, while most of the imported durians come from Vietnam and Thailand. This year, the two major importers have reduced durian production, which has aroused widespread consumer concern.
It can be said that this news will have a huge impact on the price of durian in mainland China this year.
Although there is news of a decrease in durian production in many producing areas in Thailand, some producing areas have said that production has increased, such as Chanthaburi, Thailand. Chanthaburi is the most important durian producing region in eastern Thailand, accounting for about 70% of the total production in the entire eastern region. According to Thai media news, data from the Ministry of Commerce of Thailand shows that durian production is expected to reach 560,000 tons, an increase of 4.35%, and the harvest period is expected to be between April 15 and May 20.
That is to say, there are production areas that have reduced production, and there are also production areas where production remains normal, or even increases. What do you think about this year's durian prices?