තායිලන්තයේ දූරියන් මිල ඉහළට

Thailand's durian prices soar

Durian prices in Thailand have spiked over the past few months as a scorching heatwave and severe drought have hampered production, driving up planting costs.

The Southeast Asian country is the world's top durian exporter, with annual exports exceeding 100 billion baht, or 2.73 billion U.S. dollars.  However, since the beginning of this year, the sweltering heat and dry weather have squeezed durian production.

"Heat and drought cause durian flowers to wilt and fall off, and although new flowers grow, they won't bear fruit while the hot and dry days continue," said Poonpipope Kasemsap, a Thai agricultural expert.

Water scarcity is stunting durian growth, leaving the fruit small and of poor quality. Plantations in Thailand's major durian producing regions such as Chanthaburi province have been forced to buy vast quantities of additional water for irrigation, which has significantly driven up costs.

Despite having sold off most of their durian crop by May, Thailand's production plunge has driven prices to a record high of nearly 177 baht (almost 5 U.S. dollars) per kilogram, according to the Thai Ministry of Commerce.

Meanwhile, the export price of Thai durians this year is about 250 baht per kilogram, according to statistics from the Thai Durian Association.

Agricultural experts have speculated that this year's durian yielding time in Thailand will be delayed by one month compared with previous years due to the adverse weather conditions. But the tight supply is expected to be partially alleviated due to the expanding planting area in recent years.

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