Feature: Price of Thai durian goes up due to expected crop shortfall

It's the law of supply and demand that the price of durian in Thailand is now selling at a higher price since there is an expected big shortfall in the production of the tropical fruit this year.

Durian harvested from Thailand's major producing areas - Chantaburi, Rayong and Trat provinces, can easily secure a price of not less than 2.1 U.S. dollars per kilogram this year, compared to an average of 1.8 U.S. dollars a kilo last year, Saiyud Arbsuwan, Trat provincial agricultural chief, said in an interview with Xinhua on Tuesday.

Up to 75 percent of a total volume of durian from the three provinces is destined for exports to China. Arbsuwan said some Chinese traders have already visited the durian plantations in the three provinces and have "contracted" farmers to buy the "king of fruits."

The succulent durian is the favorite of many Chinese people but some foreigners, especially the Caucasians, do not like the fruit because of its smell. In fact, some are saying that durian is a fruit "that smells like hell but tastes like heaven."

According to Arbsuwan, aside from the Chinese traders, local Thai merchants have already approached farmers to buy durian fruits which are beginning to ripen early this month and would last for the next few months.

"Due to adverse weather conditions earlier this year, the durian crop yield is less compared to that of last year, pushing the prices up to about 70 baht (2.1 U.S. dollars) per kilo. The price might go even up to 100 baht (about 3 U.S. dollars) a kilo in the next few months," Arbsuwan said.

Thailand's income from the export of durian could go higher this year because of the high prices. "Compared to last year's export earnings from Thai durian which amounted to 145 billion baht (about 440 million U.S. dollars), this year will very likely see higher earnings from it," the official said.

An estimated 300,000 tons of durian are expected to be exported, mostly to China, this year, Arbsuwan said.

Thailand is the world's largest durian exporter, with roughly 90 percent of the international market share, followed way behind by Malaysia and Indonesia.

However, the authorities have warned farmers against harvesting young durian fruits. Likewise traders have been warned against the selling of unripe fruits.

Unripe fruits are not only inedible but may also damage the country's reputation, especially in the export market. There is the possibility that because of the shortfall in production, farmers might resort to harvesting young durian fruits to make a fast buck. Meanwhile, rambutan and mangosteen will also sell at higher prices this year due to considerable drop in harvests, Arbsuwan said.

Currently rambutan and mangosteen, coming from the eastern Thai provinces, are selling at about 1.5 U.S. dollars and 3 U.S. dollars per kilo respectively.

Durian, rambutan and mangosteen are Thailand's major fruit exports earning for the country the much-needed foreign exchange. Endi