Indonesia is gearing towards exporting durians directly to China, a move initiated by the Indonesian government, as stated by the Coordinating Minister for Food Affairs Zulkifli Hasan. This step is in response to the burgeoning demand for durians in China, with projections indicating potential market growth of up to 8 billion USD. Currently, Indonesia's export capabilities are limited to durian paste, primarily utilized in ice cream production, which undergoes a complex production process and fetches a lower market price compared to whole fruits.
The aspiration is to facilitate the export of whole durian fruits, enabling direct shipments to China without the need for transit through third countries. Currently, durians sourced from Central Sulawesi in Indonesia are transported to Thailand before reaching the Chinese market, a detour affecting profitability. In a bid to streamline this process, the Indonesian Quarantine Agency has disclosed plans for China to conduct direct inspections of Indonesian durians early next year. Following the successful completion of these inspections, both nations anticipate signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to open direct market access for Indonesian durians in China.
Source: Vietnam+