Nov 10, 2026, Viewpoint
Number one in the world, yet importing 80% of its raw material
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Durian just got a "visa" into India. But a visa does not mean there are customers
Oct 20, 2026, Viewpoint
Durian just got a "visa" into India. But a visa does not mean there are customers.
The number in the headline is 1.4 billion people. The number lower down in the article is different: according to the Vietnam Fruit and Vegetable Association, durian is still an unfamiliar fruit to a segment of India's population. In the early phase, demand will be concentrated in a few major cities and premium retail channels.
A market opens with an administrative decision. Demand opens with eating habits, and habits move years slower than decisions.
Anyone planting more right now because of "an additional market of over a billion people" is farming by newspaper headline. 1.4 billion is a population. Not a number of buyers.
Being allowed to sell and having someone buy are two different numbers. BLF only counts the second one.
Sources
Báo Gia đình & Xã hội, 12/10/2026, India added Vietnam to the list of countries permitted to export fresh durian (amendment to the Plant Quarantine Order, July 2026); assessment by Hiệp hội Rau quả Việt Nam (VINAFRUIT) on tastes and initial consumption channels in India.
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