"Laos durian dreams grow as plantations rise to feed China" 19 October 2024

...Chinese investors like Tao are flocking to establish durian plantations in Laos, aiming to export their pungent produce back to China.

The sprouting industry -- part of a broader influx of Chinese investment including the launch of a high-speed railway connecting China and Laos -- promises to be an economic boon for one of Southeast Asia's poorest and least developed countries.

At the same time, the durian craze could come at a high cost, according to local villagers and experts who are concerned about pollution and the loss of forests and biodiversity...

Another Chinese player that has joined Laos' durian rush is Jiarun, an infrastructure builder. It has vowed to establish the world's largest durian plantation in Attapeu, a remote province in southern Laos. In 2022, the company secured a 50-year lease from the Laotian government for 5,000 hectares of land...The company intends to plant durian trees across more than half of that area...

China has been the largest foreign investor in Laos since 2016. Providing extra momentum is the Laos-China railway..."For fruit producers like us, the Laos-China railway is very convenient, as it saves costs and time," said He Ruijun, 42, deputy manager of Jiarun's local subsidiary...

Jiarun's durian plantation is not far from two national conservation zones but sits on a production forest area...On Chinese social media, Jiarun promotes its durian project as a green initiative and calls its approach tui lin huan lin, which means replacing the original forest with trees of high economic value...But experts say plantations can never replace pristine forests...Additionally, villagers might lose access to forest food, such as mushrooms and bamboo shoots...

In communities near the Jiarun farm, many locals remain unaware of the vast durian orchard next door. A group of villagers told Nikkei Asia that they were not consulted before the land concession was granted, nor informed about its progress since. Those who know about the plantation have mixed feelings...Others worry about pollution...