As the durian season starts this April, Chanthaburi province in eastern Thailand is bracing to be the number 1 supplier to China.

With its capacity to produce 500,000 tonnes of durian per year, Chanthaburi’s export potential has drawn the government’s notice.

On March 26, Thailand’s Ministry of Commerce started a campaign to market the province’s number one status in durian exports to China. At the same time, the ministry cited that the mountainous region will export durian and mangosteen worth 3 million baht ($82,390).

Towards this objective, the ministry signed a memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with two Thai-Chinese marketing bodies. Two key outcomes of the MoU is price stability and the promotion of local farmers.

Concerning price, the premium Monthong variety is selling at a stable season’s opening value of 60 baht ($7.13) a kilogram. Native to Thailand, Monthong is popular in neighboring Vietnam where it sells for 200,000 dong ($8.15) per kilogram.

Like Vietnam’s durian-growing provinces which landed export deals to China in March, Chanthaburi has already bagged a preliminary deal. The government has already announced an export pact of durian and mangosteen to China of up to 20,000 tons.

This comes at a time when the province is capable of producing the fruit year-round due to changing weather patterns. Beforehand, eastern provinces had to give way after June to southern provinces whose season started late.

Chanthaburi could whet the Chinese appetite further with its productive limestone soil that nurtures five durian varieties. These include the native Puang Manee, Thong Linjong and Nok Yip, besides Chanthaburi One and Two commercial cultivars.

This momentum will also boost the total export worth of Thai durian past 2023’s 141 billion baht ($3.87 billion).

All fruit exports from Thailand, which is popular as the “land of smiles,” reached 238 billion ($6.54 billion) in 2023 and 59% of which stemmed from durian.