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HANOI: As Southeast Asia battles heatwaves and drought, Vietnamese farmers of the “king of tropical fruits” are increasingly concerned about lower quality of their harvests to feed a growing number of Chinese consumers.
“The key problem of this durian harvest season is the prolonged drought and sea water intrusion that decreased the yield and quality of Vietnam’s durian farms,” Dr Vo Huu Thoai, director of the country’s Southern Fruit Institute, told CNA.
“The problem is set to get worse in the coming years if we don’t act fast enough to implement the solutions.”
Since China agreed to officially import fresh durians from Vietnam in July 2022, Vietnam’s export of the thorny fruit has skyrocketed, reaching US$2.2 billion last year – a 10-fold increase over the previous year.
It managed to put a dent in Thailand’s dominance as the largest durian exporter to China for more than a decade.
Many in Vietnam call durians the fruit of gold, as a hectare of it can generate an estimated US$70,000 in profits for growers in a good harvest. In comparison, a hectare of rice or coffee can generate about US$6,000 in profits every year.
Durian exports to China, the biggest consumer market for the thorny fruit, are expected to further increase to US$3.5 billion this year.
However, this rise is facing an uncertain future – not just because of climate change but also the impact of hydropower dams built on the Mekong River.
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