Durian has topped trending searches due to price drops, and reportedly, there’s still room for further reductions—making "durian freedom" within reach! Though expensive, durian boasts hundreds of millions of devoted fans worldwide. Combined with its rich nutritional value, it truly deserves its title as the "King of Tropical Fruits." However, because of its perishable nature and high transportation costs, durian has historically remained a luxury fruit that’s out of reach for most consumers. As a result, improving shipping efficiency, ensuring durian stays fresh and maintains top quality during transit, and ultimately cutting down on logistics expenses have become critical issues of growing concern in both agricultural and commercial sectors.

The reason for the drop in durian prices

Durian enjoys strong sales worldwide, particularly in Southeast Asia and the Chinese market, where it is deeply loved by consumers. From March to April, Thailand sees a massive influx of durians onto the market, with the peak season arriving from May to August—when supply typically exceeds demand. To seize this opportunity, retailers are slashing prices to attract more customers eager to try this tropical delicacy. The growth of the durian market, however, is influenced by a variety of factors, including climate conditions, natural disasters, transportation infrastructure, and pricing dynamics. Notably, improvements in transportation infrastructure are expected to have an even more significant impact on the future development of the durian market.

Durian is primarily transported using cold-chain logistics, and the transportation equipment plays a crucial role in determining durian prices. As cold-chain logistics facilities and technologies continue to improve, the spoilage and damage rates of durian have significantly decreased, leading to lower operational costs in the market—and ultimately driving down durian prices. Moreover, advancements in refrigerated logistics equipment not only enhance overall logistics efficiency but also shorten transit times, alleviate inventory pressures, and better meet consumer demand while preserving the freshness and quality of durian. At the same time, these improvements are boosting the growth of the durian industry, expanding durian import and export markets, intensifying competition among traders, and putting downward pressure on durian prices—resulting in price fluctuations and declines.

Improvements in Cold Chain Logistics

Using railway containers to transport durians has shortened transit times, helping to preserve their freshness and enhance their taste. This approach also reduces the likelihood of "dead packs" and blackened flesh, ensuring that consumers can enjoy high-quality durians with excellent flavor. Taicang Zhongji Refrigerated Logistics Equipment Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as Taicang Cold Box) will continue to respond promptly to market and customer needs, working collaboratively with various stakeholders to continuously improve product performance, so that consumers can savor delicious, affordable durians.

Previously, durians shipped to China from countries like Thailand and Laos were mostly transported by land. However, rail transport offers faster speeds, greater capacity, and improved timeliness. On December 3, 2022, the China-Laos Railway officially began operations. According to a report from People's Daily Online, as of April 9, 2023, the railway had carried over 13.93 million passengers and more than 18.38 million tons of cargo. Increasingly, Southeast Asian tropical fruits are now being delivered directly to consumers' tables aboard the "Lancang-Mekong Express," the China-Laos Railway's dedicated freight service.

The railway container is suitable for transportation by both rail and road vehicles. For road transport, it can be loaded onto a 45-foot gooseneck skeleton semi-trailer. At the front of the container, beneath the refrigeration unit, there’s an approximately 400-liter fuel tank (the tank capacity depends on the dimensions of the refrigeration unit), which ensures the onboard refrigeration system can operate continuously for up to 7 days during land transportation. To enhance the container’s strength and durability, the front and rear frames, as well as the top, bottom, and side beams, are made from CORTEN A steel. The side panels, roof panel, and rear door are crafted from MGSS material, while the inner panels are constructed using high-grade BN4 stainless steel. Additionally, the container’s front wall features a pre-cut opening for the refrigeration unit installation. Inside, a return air panel is installed, and the roof panel is fitted with refrigeration ducts. To maintain proper airflow circulation within the container, cargo loading must not exceed the designated red warning line inside the box—and care should also be taken to ensure unobstructed ventilation through the central floor gap during the loading process.

Summary

In addition to durian, there are also several other high-priced fruits, such as premium-value new apple varieties and imported, top-quality longans. Under current technological conditions, transporting and storing these fruits still requires significant operational costs, keeping prices persistently high. However, as refrigerated logistics equipment continues to upgrade and costs decline, the prices of these fruits will gradually stabilize. Taicang Cold Boxes will promptly respond to market demands by focusing on upgrading and enhancing transportation equipment, developing more innovative refrigerated containers specifically designed for shipping premium fruits and foods—ensuring that food lovers can enjoy their favorites without any worries.

Business contact:0086-512 33027708

Phone:0086-512 33027777

Email:xingbiao.shi@cimc.com

xingcheng.qiu@cimc.com

Address: No. 99 Binjiang Avenue, Taicang Port Economic and Technological Development Zone, Jiangsu Province