Fresh Laotian Durians Approved for Import Into China

On Dec. 12, the General Administration of Customs of China announced via its website that fresh Laotian durians meeting the stipulated phytosanitary requirements would be permissible for import into China. With this approval, Laos becomes the sixth country permitted to export fresh durians to China, following Thailand, Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia and Cambodia.

Laos has over 20,000 hectares of durian plantations, the majority of which are planted with Monthong durians (also known as “golden pillow”). Since 2021, investors from China, Vietnam and Malaysia have increasingly been working to develop durian cultivation in Laos, with plantations now spread across the country’s northern, central and southern regions.

Laos shares a border with China and the two countries are connected by the China–Laos railway, giving Laos a logistical advantage in terms of exporting to China. Both production and transportation costs are lower than in Thailand, and Chinese investors are expected to raise local cultivation standards through new management practices. If Laos succeeds in improving durian yield and quality, its durians could compete directly with those from Thailand, potentially putting further downward pressure on prices.

According to the GACC announcement, a total of five quarantine pests of concern have been identified by China. These include the guava fruit fly (Bactrocera correcta), durian seed borer (Mudaria luteileprosa), Jack Beardsley mealybug (Pseudococcus jackbeardsley), coffee mealybug (Planococcus lilacinus) and passionvine mealybug (Planococcus minor).

Orchards intending to export fresh durians to China must establish robust quality management and traceability systems, adhere to good agricultural practices and integrated pest management techniques, and maintain orchard hygiene by ensuring no nearby sources of contamination, promptly removing rotten or fallen fruits, and discarding spoiled produce.

During the packing process, durians destined for China must undergo procedures such as cleaning, sorting, grading and the removal of damaged fruits to ensure that shipments are free from insects, mites, rotten fruits, branches, leaves, roots and soil. If necessary, insect treatment may also be carried out within the packing facility. The entire packing process must comply with Chinese food safety laws, regulations and national standards, and the addition of any non-edible substances is strictly prohibited.

Image: Pixabay

This article was translated from Chinese. Read the original article.