Nay Chorn, president of Samlout Durian Cluster, said the provincial Department of Agriculture brought Thai and Chinese traders to durian plantations in Samlot district to explore opportunities of exporting durians to China via Thailand. Now, Chinese and Thai companies are negotiating to buy durians from the southwest of Battambang province for export to China.
Chorn said the entrepreneurs acknowledged that the taste and quality of Samlot durians is better than their Thai counterparts. However, they have not signed a purchase contract yet because price negotiations are ongoing.
Chorn’s cluster has nearly 20 members, with an annual harvest of 300 to 400 tons. Overall, Samlot district planters harvest about 6,000 tons of durians a year from around 540ha of mature plantations out of nearly 600ha of cultivated area.
Source: phnompenhpost.com