CHUMPHON, Thailand, June 16 (Xinhua) -- A durian festival celebration was held on Saturday in Chumphon province, an important durian producing area in southern Thailand, aiming to promote Thailand durian and help more fruit enter the Chinese marketextremelightningroulette.

Chinese Consul General in Songkhla Wu Dongmei, some Chinese logistics companies and fruit dealers such as SF Express were invited to the event.

During the event, Governor of Chumphon province Wisah Poolsirirat cut a durian with a knife, marking the start of the 2024 Chumphon durian harvest season.

As the largest durian planting area in southern Thailand, Chumphon province accounts for more than half of the region's durian production, with fruit season lasting from June to December.

In the past five years, the durian planting area in Chumphon province has continued to expand, increasing by 17.38 percent in 2024 compared with 2023, according to the agricultural extension office of the province.

It is expected that there would be over 250,000 tons of durian production in the province in 2024, bringing in more than 33 billion baht (899.4 million U.S. dollars).

The expansion of durian planting area is mainly based on the increasing demand for Thai durian from major trading partner countries. China is Thailand's largest durian trade partner, and 70 percent of Chumphon province's durians are exported to China, said Wisah.

"In the future, we will further improve the quality of durians and make Thai durian continue to be a popular fruit among Chinese consumers," Wisah said.

Mao Yiwen, head of Key Account Operation and Maintenance Group of Asia Region Business Center of SF, said that through the cross-border e-commerce direct mail of SF Express, durians can arrive at the dining tables of Chinese consumers in two to three days.

At the same time, the visualization of the entire logistics process enhances the tracking of durians, thereby promoting the improvement of durian quality, Mao said.

Wu Dongmei said at the event that southern Thailand, such as Chumphon province, is rich in agricultural resources, and the durian from this area is very popular in the Chinese market because of its good taste and quality. China and Thailand could further deepen economic and trade cooperation, strengthen trade exchanges, and promote the continuous development of bilateral relations.■