Durian production in Sanya, Hainan, has seen a significant increase this year after years of cultivation. Many companies are preparing for launch and sales, attracting considerable market attention.
"For development strategies, this year we decided to keep a small amount of fruit and focus on nurturing the trees, only launching a limited number of durians for tasting and trial sales," said Mr. Wei Changxing, Sales Manager of Youqi Investment Co., Ltd., part of Hainan Hongxiang Agricultural Group.
Mr. Wei explained that Hainan Youqi started large-scale durian planting in Sanya several years ago, covering about 1,000 hectares, with more than half the trees now 4-5 years old. "This year, each tree could produce 5-6 fruits, but for better tree care, we are only keeping 3-5 fruits per tree to prepare for next year and beyond."
"We are maintaining around 66-132 hectares of fruit-bearing area this year, producing about 10,000 fruits, mainly for trial promotion and tasting. According to our plan, we estimate producing 500,000-600,000 fruits next year. As the trees age, the yield, shape, and taste of the fruits will improve."
Advantages of Hainan durian
Mr. Wei highlighted Hainan's natural climate, planting technology, and logistics as key advantages for durian production.
"Durian needs plenty of sunlight and water during its growth and fruiting periods, with water controlled 15 days before picking. Sanya enjoys abundant sunshine and has short, intense daily rain showers during the rainy season, followed by sunshine. To meet water demand, we have a 10,000 cubic meter water tank."
"Sanya and Thai durian production areas share the same latitude, but differ in sunshine duration. This year, Thailand faced dry conditions before May 10, and heavy, prolonged rains afterward, affecting durian quality. In contrast, Sanya's balanced light and rain provide an advantage."
"In terms of planting, Sanya uses high pile planting and deep drainage channels to prevent excess water absorption. Volcanic rocks are placed in the soil to increase permeability, and plants are dwarfed to prevent typhoon damage. Other measures include drone and planting monitoring. Sanya Durian leads in management technology, embracing digital and scientific agriculture."
"Due to good light and temperature conditions, Sanya durian flesh is yellower, with higher dry matter content and sweetness, reaching 41-42 Brix. Being closer to the domestic market, Sanya durians can be harvested fully ripe and transported via cold chain to main market warehouses within three days, ensuring optimal ripeness and taste."
Breeding direction
The durian grown in Sanya is mainly Monthong, Kanyao, Musang King D197, and Black Thorn. Mr. Wei discussed current breeding directions.
"Our company collaborates with research institutions on breeding, focusing on varieties with lower temperature requirements and better cold resistance. Currently, only Sanya meets the conditions for durian growth in China. If we can develop suitable seedlings, we can expand the planting area."
"We also aim to cultivate varieties superior to Monthong and Musang King. This may take over ten years, but we are already working on it."
The durian production season in Sanya runs from June to September. Regarding market strategy, Mr. Wei stated, "This year, promotion is our main focus. Youqi Orchard started picking from late June to early July and held a Sanya durian tasting event in July. We plan to invite livestream influencers to the orchard for experiential sales and core customers for experimental promotion."
Hainan Youqi's durians are branded as "Toucan". The company also imports durians from Thailand and Vietnam.
For more information:
Wei Changxing