Indonesia’s vast durian industry is poised to begin exports to China

Indonesia is expanding cultivation and completing legal procedures in preparation to begin exporting durians to China, offering consumers a new – and possibly cheaper – alternative to fruit from Thailand and Vietnam.

The move could open up a lucrative new market given Indonesia’s large durian industry and China’s seemingly limitless appetite for the pungent fruit.

But Indonesia’s growers might not have the capacity to begin serving Chinese consumers right away, as domestic demand swallows up so much home-produced durian, analysts said.

Officials from China’s General Administration of Customs travelled to Indonesia last week to conduct an audit of local durian plantations and packing houses, according to domestic media reports.

The inspections are likely to determine whether “durian export cooperation” can proceed, a local horticulture authority told Indonesia’s national Antara news agency.

In July, China’s state-run news agency Xinhua said the Indonesian government was “set to accelerate” durian exports from one province, Central Sulawesi. Last month, it reported that officials in Jakarta were “increasing efforts” to launch exports.