Cambodia has become the latest Southeast Asian nation to enter the lucrative Chinese durian market, where it aims to take a bite out of the market shares of leaders Thailand, Vietnam and Malaysia.
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China’s General Administration of Customs began in late April allowing shipments of fresh durians from Cambodia that comply with food safety laws, after President Xi Jinping signed a broader agreement with officials in Phnom Penh earlier in the month.
But Cambodia will need to work to win over consumers in China – by far the world’s largest durian market – where fruit lovers have access to pungent, spiky durians from across Southeast Asia as well as a growing crop of home-grown options, analysts said.
“Cambodia is still building its reputation in the international market,” said Lim Chin Khee, an adviser to Durian Academy, a Malaysian institution that trains local growers. “It lacks the long-standing brand recognition of Thailand’s Monthong or Malaysia’s premium Musang King [durian varieties].”
Zhao Yu, 38-year-old based in Shanghai who is a regular durian eater, told the Post that she would first take time to “understand” the Cambodian produce before changing her shopping habits.
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But some Chinese consumers are keen to try Cambodia’s Ah Khak durian variety, according to Rajiv Biswas, CEO of research firm Asia-Pacific Economics in Singapore.