Hanoi (VNA) - Durian is one of the key export products that bring high profits in Thailand. However, a vicious heat wave raging in Southeast Asia has resulted in smaller yields and spiraling costs.
Durian growers and sellers in Thailand are increasingly worried as global warming damages the industry. “This year is a crisis,” durian farmer Busaba Nakpipat told AFP.
The 54-year-old woman took over her parents’ farm in eastern Chanthaburi province - Thailand’s durian heartland - three decades ago.
If the hot weather continues to rise in the future, it’ll be over, she said, adding that farmers won’t be able to produce durian anymore.
Durian season usually lasts from March until June, but the soaring temperatures - which in Chanthaburi have hovered around 40°C for weeks - and subsequent drought have shortened the harvest.
Busaba said the heat causes the durian to ripen faster so it does not grow to its fullest size, making it less valuable. Not only is she getting less money for the crop, but her’s operational costs have risen. Since March a drought has sucked water from the wells, and to keep her precious durian trees alive, Busaba is forced to bring in thousands of litres by truck.
Thailand’s durian exports are worth billions USD and are the country's third-most valuable agricultural product, just behind rice and rubber.
Siriwan Roopkaew, who manages a durian stall, said the lack of water has affected the size of the fruit, but for now prices remain high thanks to demand from China.
Statistics from the Chinese Ministry of Commerce showed that about 95% of Thailand’s durian exports are to China. Last year, Thailand shipped nearly 4.6 billion USD worth of the fruit to China./.
