Most people either love it with a passion or recoil from its pungent aroma – yes, I’m talking about durian. This spiky “king of fruits,” infamous for its heavenly taste but hellish smell, has seduced the palates of Chinese consumers in unprecedented numbers. As a result, Thailand, the world’s top durian exporter, has found itself racing to modernize its production in order to meet this burgeoning demand. Even now, Chinese agricultural experts are collaborating with Thai farmers to transform orchards and boost yields using smart technology. According to Zhou Zhaoxi of the Chinese Academy of Tropical Agricultural Sciences, “Thailand boasts ideal natural conditions for cultivating tropical fruits, and its durians are simply among the finest in the region.” Despite valiant cultivation efforts in China’s Hainan province, local production merely grazes the very surface of the country’s insatiable demand. China Customs data reported that, in 2023 alone, the nation imported an…
