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Story Publication logo December 25, 2024

Chinese Businessmen Grow Durian in Laos: Sweet Profits or a Mirage? 'Duanwen' Podcast (Chinese)

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Chinese fruit producers look toward a neighboring country with vast uncultivated land.

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Durian vendor at the Basai Market. Image by Beimeng Fu.

An English summary of the report is below. To see the original report in Chinese, visit The Initium.

如需阅读中文原版报道,请访问 The Initium.


Durian has become very popular in China over the past few years and is known as the "King of Fruits." Ninety five percent of durians in global trade go to China, but durians are still in short supply there.

The area where durian can be grown in China is small, the yield is low, and the price is high. In the future, it is estimated that the durian on the Chinese table will still mainly come from Southeast Asia, the origin of the fruit. Chinese businessmen want to grow their own durians. The southern part of Laos, which has a suitable climate and low labor and land costs, has attracted their attention. 

Why is the Chinese businessman’s dream of Laos durian so sweet? What kind of rewards do they expect? What business opportunities will the opening of the China-Laos railway bring? How will their investment change the lives of Laotians? In the following podcast, Initium Media's contributing reporters Beimeng Fu and Zhaoyin Feng discuss Chinese businessmen's Laos durian dream.


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