LOCAL durian producers are confident there will still be demand for the Musang King variety despite China’s foray into cultivation of the fruit.

They said the Chinese move is not a threat in the short term, given that it will take years for the trees to bear fruit.

They admitted that Chinese growers could threaten their Malaysian counterparts in the years to come.

Since 2007, Malaysia has exported durian pulp to China, one of its biggest markets, the pricey Musang King variety being the top seller.

Top Fruits Plantation managing director Tan Sue Sian said climate, rainwater and soil conditions are highly pertinent to durian farming.

While Hainan in China has the right growing conditions, it is prone to typhoons, which could damage the trees, resulting in lower yield, Tan said.

It is a lot cheaper to grow durian in Malaysia compared to China, he said.

“Although China’s planting and freezing technology is comparable to Malaysia, its land and labour costs are high,” Tan told The Malaysian Insight.

“The fruits have a seven-day shelf life, and it takes longer than that to transport fresh fruit from the south to the north of China.

“The best solution is still cold chain transport.”

Tan said the durian cultivated in China is better used for research than mass consumption.

“China’s land and labour costs are high and it takes seven to eight years before the fruit can be harvested.

“Malaysia’s geographical environment is still the best for Musang King. Even fruits grown in Thailand cannot compare in terms of sweetness, colour and taste,” Tan said.

Local farmers have invested in technology and good fertilisers to produce quality fruits.

No threat in the short term

Duricious Sdn Bhd founder Simon Chin said the best durians are from Raub, Pahang, where the Musang King variant is grown.

He said Malaysia is to durians what French vineyards are to wines.

While China grown durian could eat into Malaysia’s market share, he said it would not affect sales of the country’s high-quality durian.

“Durians grown in China tend to be cheaper and are supplied to the local suburbs.

“For those seeking good quality fruits, Musang King from Raub is still the best and people will definitely continue coming back for it,” Chin said.

He did not discount that China and Thailand could one day catch up with Malaysia in terms of quality of the fruits.

Therefore, local farmers must continuously strive for better yields, he said.

Chin, who has been importing durians for 14 years, said only 10-15% of consumers have tasted the costly Musang King.

He said local farmers must increase production as low yield pushes prices up, causing the fruits to become luxury treats, which leads to lower sales.

Casey Lim, a durian grower in Batu Pahat, Johor, said the overseas-grown Musang King would not taste the same.

Most trees in Malaysia are more than 10 years old and produce better quality fruits than the young trees of China.

“China durians are not comparable to Malaysia in terms of taste and quality,” Lim said.

Pochi Durian Trading owner James Chin said other countries cannot produce the same quality of fruits because Malaysian growing conditions cannot be replicated elsewhere.

“We have a unique environment for growing durian here,” Chin said.

Higher yields

Max Yang, manager at Zhengzhou Chen’s Sun Fruit and Vegetable Trade Co Ltd International, said many agree that Chinese-grown durians do not taste as good as the Malaysian-grown ones.

“And their output is very little,” Yang said.

“It’s also unrealistic for China to produce durian for mass consumption due to the high land, labour, logistics and storage costs.

“Hainan being a typhoon-prone area also means that the weather will affect the harvest of the fruits.”

Yang’ company has exported durian to China since 2019. This year the firm’s exports increased by 50% compared to last year.

Compared to Thailand, Malaysia’s output is still low, he said.

“Thailand accounts for more than 90% of the world’s exports while Malaysia only exports around 1,000 containers.”

Apart from Musang King, the Black Thorn variety is also highly sought after, but prices are prohibitive, he said.

“Imported durians cost more this year due to a lack of supply.

“To me, Malaysia’s durian tastes best because the fruits mature on the trees before they are processed for export. The taste and quality of Thai durians are inconsistent.”

A 10kg box of Malaysian durians costs ¥1,000-1,300 (RM658-RM856) while an 18kg box of Thai durians fetches ¥600-700.

Yang said it has been difficult to promote the fruit because of the high prices.

But connoisseurs won’t care about prices as Musang King is considered the “Hermes” of durians, and they make good gifts, he said.

“As long as Malaysia continues to produce good quality durians, it will have great potential to succeed in China,” Yang said.

According to a Hainan TV report, the durian-planting area in Hainan province now exceeds 2,000ha and Hainanese durians are forecast to hit the market in 2024 with an expected annual supply of 45,000–75,000 tonnes.

Durian trees were first introduced to Hainan in the 1950s. However, the trees did not bloom as a result of poor cultivation techniques. In 2019, 44 durian trees introduced in Baoting successfully bore fruit, sparking new enthusiasm among Hainanese growers. – July 6, 2022.