Thai fruit growers seek to use Laos-China railway as ‘durian express’
Durian growers in Thailand are looking for a way to use the yet-to-be opened new China-Laos high-speed railway as a means of transport for their fruits to China.
The more than 400-kilometer long railway is expected to open in early December and will run from Laos’ capital Vientiane to the Boten border gate in northern Laos bordering China with an average speed of 160 km/h. From the border, it will connect to Kunming, the capital of Southwest China’s Yunnan province.
Thailand’s fruit growers are highly positive about the railway as it allows them to enter the lucrative Chinese market through a speedier and less expensive connection rather than by air.
This applies particularly to durians, since it is a fresh fruit and needs to be transported quickly. Lower transportation costs would also be beneficial for overall cost calculations.
Durian in high regard by Chinese consumers
In 2020, China imported around 575,000 tonnes of fresh durian worth 69 billion baht ($2.1 billion), an annual growth of 78 per cent, making China Thailand’s largest export destination for fresh durian. Apart from that, Thailand is also the largest fruit supplier to China.
On the back of growing demand by Chinese consumers, Thailand’s durian exports in the first seven months this year reached 37,148 containers, or 668,664 tonnes, according to industry figures. Prices also rose by around 50 per cent due to the popularity of the fruit in China.
Fruit traders say that once the high-speed railway is open, transportation would allow a more competitive price. They are also demanding a connection between Thailand’s rail network and the Laos-China link to be built.
Durian growers in Thailand are looking for a way to use the yet-to-be opened new China-Laos high-speed railway as a means of transport for their fruits to China. The more than 400-kilometer long railway is expected to open in early December and will run from Laos’ capital Vientiane to the Boten border gate in northern Laos bordering China with an average speed of 160 km/h. From the border, it will connect to Kunming, the capital of Southwest China's Yunnan province. Thailand’s fruit growers are highly positive about the railway as it allows them to enter the lucrative Chinese market through...
Durian growers in Thailand are looking for a way to use the yet-to-be opened new China-Laos high-speed railway as a means of transport for their fruits to China.
The more than 400-kilometer long railway is expected to open in early December and will run from Laos’ capital Vientiane to the Boten border gate in northern Laos bordering China with an average speed of 160 km/h. From the border, it will connect to Kunming, the capital of Southwest China’s Yunnan province.
Thailand’s fruit growers are highly positive about the railway as it allows them to enter the lucrative Chinese market through a speedier and less expensive connection rather than by air.
This applies particularly to durians, since it is a fresh fruit and needs to be transported quickly. Lower transportation costs would also be beneficial for overall cost calculations.
Durian in high regard by Chinese consumers
In 2020, China imported around 575,000 tonnes of fresh durian worth 69 billion baht ($2.1 billion), an annual growth of 78 per cent, making China Thailand’s largest export destination for fresh durian. Apart from that, Thailand is also the largest fruit supplier to China.
On the back of growing demand by Chinese consumers, Thailand’s durian exports in the first seven months this year reached 37,148 containers, or 668,664 tonnes, according to industry figures. Prices also rose by around 50 per cent due to the popularity of the fruit in China.
Fruit traders say that once the high-speed railway is open, transportation would allow a more competitive price. They are also demanding a connection between Thailand’s rail network and the Laos-China link to be built.
