Chinese e-commerce giant sends buyers to Asian nation ahead of durian season
Fruit buyers from JD Fresh, the online fresh food division of Chinese e-commerce giant JD.com, have travelled to Thailand to meet with local growers.
The move was part of a recently announced direct sourcing push, which will see JD Fresh purchase RMB 1bn (US$0.15bn) worth of Thai fruits over the next two years.
During this month’s visit, the buyers signed procurement orders for durians, coconuts, and longans.
As the durian season begins in May, JD Fresh will work with Thai suppliers to offer more tree-ripened durians in China.
“This approach allows the fruit to reach 85 per cent or greater ripeness before harvesting, as opposed to the traditional practice of pre-ripe picking, which sacrifices flavour for a longer import journey,” according to a media release from JD.com.
To further ensure fruit quality, JD Fresh will use liquid nitrogen freezing technology immediately after the tree-ripened durians are harvested and sorted.
“This locks in their freshness right after being picked and sorted at the farms,” the media release said. “The fruit will then be imported to China using cold-chain logistics throughout the entire journey, ensuring widespread availability to consumers across the nation through JD Logistics’ extensive cold-chain network.”
China imported 825,000 tonnes of durians in 2022, with 780,000 tonnes coming from Thailand, according to JD.com.
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