Some say it’s sticky-sweet, others say it smells like socks. Love it or hate it, the appetite for durians is growing voraciously — especially in China.
Global demand for polarizing fruit soared 400% year-on-year, according to HSBC which said it’s largely bolstered by a “craze” for the fruit in China.
“Bucking global trends, durian demand is surging by 400% year-on-year led solely by a craze in China,” a report released by the bank on Monday said.
Over the past two years, China imported $6 billion worth of durians — accounting for 91% of global demand, HSBC’s ASEAN Economist Aris Dacanay said in the report.
The “durian boom” is largely concentrated in China, where consumers do not view it as just a fruit, but also as a gift that flaunts the giver’s wealth.
Additionally, it has become more common in China to include durians as part of customary gifts to friends and relatives upon engagement.
While the boom in China’s durian demand started as early as 2017, the uptick in demand only picked up from late 2022, according to data from HSBC.
Key durian exporters
The “king of fruits” sells for more than $10 a kilo in China, compared to an average of around $6 a kilo across Southeast Asian countries.
And the main supplier of this surge in demand lies in ASEAN, which accounted for 90% of the world’s durian exports in 2022.
Thailand alone makes up 99% of total durian exports in the 10-nation Southeast Asian bloc comprising Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam.
Credit : https://www.cnbc.com/2023/09/13/durian-demand-has-soared-400percent-fueled-by-chinas-craze-for-the-fruit.html