News comes as China reports 32.9 per cent drop in total durian imports
Cambodia’s Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) announced on 5 July that the country can now export durian directly to China following the approval of 112 Cambodian durian farms and 30 packing facilities.
The two countries signed a protocol in April after China’s General Administration of Customs (GACC) assessed and approved the registration applications of the sites that met China’s Good Agricultural Practices (GAP), phytosanitary requirements, and food safety standards.
The news comes as China’s durian imports have fallen significantly this year. According to official customs data for January to May, China imported 390,900 tonnes of fresh Durian this year – a 32.9 per cent drop from the 582,300 tonnes in the first five months of 2024. The total import value declined by 32.5 per cent, falling from US$2.86bn to US$1.93bn.
Much of the decline has come from Vietnam which has struggled to keep up with additional testing requirements implemented in January.
MAFF has called on the approved Cambodian growers and packers to continue adhering to the protocol’s requirements, which stipulate no harmful ingredients, no pesticide residues, or banned chemicals. It has also encouraged other interested growers and facilities to apply for the registration process.
This is now the ninth Cambodian agricultural product approved for direct export to China, following the likes of bananas, mangoes, longans and coconuts. MAFF said the achievement reflects the strong and effective cooperation between Cambodia and China.
“The public and all stakeholders are encouraged to remain informed and continue working with the Ministry of Agriculture led by the General Department of Agriculture, to support the long-term success of producing, packaging, and exporting fresh durian,” the Ministry stated.
Khim Bunlene, founder and president of the King Durian Farm Community applauded MAFF on the achievement while also raising concerns about the timing of the announcement. According to Radio France Internationale, Bunlene said the harvest season was drawing to a close and would likely result in a small export volumes.
Khim Finan, a MAFF spokesperson responded to the concerns saying that while some durian growing regions were finishing harvest, other areas such as Ratanakiri province, Samlot area, Battambang province, and Osom area, Pursat province, still had between 30 and 40 per cent of their crops remaining.
Finan also said MAFF had been working on training growers and inspecting farms since the April protocol signing, confirming the announcement timeline was intentional.
