Cultivation in Yunnan paves the way for 'durian freedom'

陈小将

A photo shows a durian trial plantation in Mengla county, Xishuangbanna Dai autonomous prefecture.[Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

The durian, known as the "king of tropical fruits" and native to Southeast Asia, has been successfully trialed in Yunnan province, raising hopes that Chinese consumers may enjoy more locally-grown durians, according to Yunnan.cn, a local news outlet.

Recently, several villagers in Jinghong city and Mengla county in Xishuangbanna Dai autonomous prefecture shared videos of their ripened durians. Jia Guohua, a farmer in Mengla, said his tree produced 16 fruits this year, a surprising result from a durian seed he had discarded a decade ago.

As a major consumer of durians, China has long relied on imports from countries like Thailand and Vietnam to meet market demand.