Nothing gets your attention more than a whiff of the King of Fruits, whose pungent aroma can offend even an adult. Durian is a tropical fruit native to Southeast Asia and is mainly grown in Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines. The hard, outer shell is covered in thorns, whose shape and size differs depending on the type. When ripe, the custard-like flesh inside can be sweet and creamy. However, the durian’s distinctive smell has made the fruit a polarising delicacy. 

Thailand and Malaysia are the top global producers and exporters of durian, with an annual production of 600,000 and 300,000 metric tonnes, respectively. On the receiving end, China, Hong Kong and Singapore are the main export destination markets for durian. 

Durian consumption is centred on the Asian market, but the Asian diaspora has resulted in the fruit being sold worldwide. In China, there is an increased demand for durian with Thailand as the country’s major source for the fruit. Annually, 90-95 percent of durians imported into China come from Thailand. Last year, Malaysia only exported 5.8 percent or 17,000 tonnes of durian to China. 

In 2018, Malaysia highlighted durian as an asset that can contribute to its national income. Durian has the market potential to become a new source of agricultural wealth for the country.