As Thailand's durian production area enters its peak harvest season, China's durian imports are gradually increasing. The rise of new media such as Douyin and Kuaishou has further boosted the market popularity of durian. Liu Baofeng is the founder of the Xiaobaoge Company and has 17 years of experience in the imported fruit industry. He introduced to FreshPlaza the recent sales of imported durians in the domestic Chinese market.
"Our durians are mainly imported from Thailand, Vietnam and Malaysia. At present, durians from the Philippines are also allowed to be exported to China. We are also considering the possibility of importing durians from the Philippines to meet consumer demand for durian varieties from different origins,"
"In terms of production areas, as durians from Chumphon in southern Thailand, Long Khanh, and Dong Nai production areas in Vietnam have been launched in large quantities, the price has dropped. It is expected that the price will drop to ¥750 per box (16 kg) by the end of June, but this price will still be slightly higher than the same period last year," said Liu. "At present, our durian sales have far exceeded the level before the pandemic. Taking durians from Thailand as an example, the production of durians from Thailand is growing at a rate of 20% per year, but this growth rate still cannot meet the demand of the Chinese market."
Every year from June to August is the peak season for durian consumption in the Chinese market. The number of durians on the market will increase in the near future. The pulp ratio of Thai Monthong is very high, and it is one of the most popular varieties among Chinese consumers.
Liu believes that the increasing popularity of durian in the Chinese market cannot be separated from new media. Relying on the publicity of Douyin and Kuaishou, Xiaobaoge has established an image as a professional durian seller in the industry.
"Currently, our Douyin and Kuaishou have an average broadcast volume of 200,000 per video." Liu said, "Every day we use cameras to record our daily fruit sales in the market so that everyone can remember who I am, where am I, what products I have, how big my scale and size are, and what kind of services can I bring to everyone.”
The continuous output of this daily content is the key for Xiaobaoge to establish a professional image in the industry. "There is no mine at home, but there are many durians!" This slogan has also attracted more and more people to pay attention to this durian professional.
"In addition to durian, we will also focus on expanding cherries, blueberries, avocados, prunes, and citrus fruits in the future." At present, Xiaobaoge's team mainly purchases products from Guangzhou Jiangnan Market or Shanghai Huizhan Market and is expanding stable foreign sources of first-hand fruits. Chile, Australia, and the United States are all production areas that Xiaobaoge hopes to develop in the future.
The Xiaobaoge Company was established in Beijing in 2019. The current team has about 200 employees. In 2022, the transaction
volume reached about 3.5 billion, of which 2/3 are Southeast Asian fruits and Western fruits account for 1/3. Xiaobaoge will participate in the International Fruit Expo held in Guangzhou on September 1-3. "I also participated in this exhibition in 2021, and the overall feeling was very shocking. Because almost all the top brands in the industry in China went, the atmosphere at the scene was very good. But unfortunately, due to the pandemic, those foreign suppliers have not been able to come here. This year the pandemic situation has eased, and I am very much looking forward to face-to-face communication with the majority of exporters! "