Thailand set to be top durian producer by 2025

Thailand is on course to become the world’s largest durian producer in the next five years, but is at risk of losing out to neighbouring countries who also export the fruit, the Bangkok Post reports.

Thailand’s durian-growing areas increased by about 30 per cent in the past decade.

As a result, durian production is now predicted to rise by 83 per cent from 2021 to 2025, said Aat Pisanwanich, director of the Centre for International Trade Studies at the University of the Thai Chamber of Commerce.

He said average annual durian yields from 2021 to 2025 could reach up to 2.02 million tonnes, compared to 1.11 million tonnes last year.

Aat said this will be the largest durian production in the world.

Indonesia now occupies the top spot, with 1.2 million tonnes of durians harvested per year.

Durian production in Thailand increased 6,000 tonnes per year between 2011 and 2016, he said.

Aat said between 2017 and last year, the amount jumped by 140,000 tonnes per year.

“This surge in durian production was a result of the expansion of durian-growing areas in the south and the northeast of Thailand,” he said.

The south has seen the highest growth, followed by the northeast, with the number of durian plantations increasing by 300 per cent.

However, Aat said Thailand’s neighbours have also been expanding their durian-growing areas, especially Malaysia.

Production of the king of fruits in Malaysia has in recent years grown by some 42 per cent, while Indonesia, the Philippines and Vietnam have seen growth rates of 32, 40 and 20 per cent, respectively.

Despite Thailand set to become the largest producer, its durian export market share may shrink.

Aat said Thailand is now projected to lose its durian export market share from about 80 per cent last year, to about 57 per cent by 2025.

The world’s total exports of durian is expected to rise by 350,000 tonnes per year over the next five years.

This is a sharp increase from only 130,000 tonnes per year in the past decade.

World durian exports are forecast to rise by more than 134 per cent to 1.8 million tonnes by 2025, compared to a 48.3 per cent rise in 2020, Aat said.