CHINA’S GROWING DURIAN MARKET
Indonesia has set its sights on China’s massive appetite for durians, with imports of the pungent fruit valued at nearly US$7 billion last year.
It believes this will pave the way for other lucrative export destinations, where more durian lovers can explore its range of variants of the fruit.
Parigi Moutong, a regency in Indonesia’s Central Sulawesi province, is well-known for its Monthong durians.
Monthong durians are originally from Thailand, but are now also widely cultivated in Indonesia and Vietnam.
This durian variant is large, usually weighing about 3kg to 5kg. It has a creamy texture and a sweet taste, with smaller seeds and thicker flesh compared with most other varieties.
While Indonesian Monthong durians in their frozen form are already available in China, they are currently exported through Thailand.
Now, a direct supply chain is within reach.
“If we ship via Thailand, it takes about a month to get to China,” said Muhammad Tahir, director of PT Ammar Durian Indonesia.
“If we can go directly from Pantoloan port (in Palu in Central Sulawesi) to China, it will only take about a week.”
Tahir added that the cost of shipping the durians directly to China will be half the price of exporting them through Thailand.
Last year, the company shipped 30 containers of durians. It expects to increase exports to 50 containers once direct routes to China are established.
China has implemented stringent export protocols for durians, requiring Indonesian farmers and suppliers to adhere to rigorous standards. These include the Good Agriculture Practices, Good Handling Practices and Good Manufacturing Practices to ensure a high level of quality control.
The entire durian supply chain must also be fully traceable, offering transparency and accountability throughout the export process.
“Starting from the plantation, until it has been packed (and) ready to be sent, it must be traceable,” said Ahmad Mansuri Alfian, who heads the Animal, Fish and Plant Quarantine Centre in Central Sulawesi.
“The Indonesian Quarantine Agency has created an application where the system will use a barcode,” he added.
The application allows officials to simply scan a barcode to find out whether the product is from a certain packing house or plantation.
