Malaysia durians challenge Thai dominance in China - CNBC

Malaysia durians challenge Thai dominance in China - CNBC: "KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia - Malaysia will start exporting durians to mainland China from July, challenging Thailand's virtual monopoly on shipments of the spiky, stinky delicacy that many Southeast Asians hail as 'the king of fruits.'

The breakthrough Tuesday for Malaysia's durian growers comes after Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao visited Kuala Lumpur last month and formally agreed to allow the entry of Malaysian durians, which some fans insist are deliciously creamier and more aromatic than Thai-grown ones.

The tropical fruit — distinctive for its thorn-covered green outer rind and pungent smell — is grown in numerous Southeast Asian countries such as the Philippines, Indonesia, Cambodia, Brunei and Vietnam.

But Thailand has dominated the durian trade for more than three decades. It shipped about 138,000 tons (125,000 metric tons) of durians worth nearly $70 million last year to mainland China, which bought nearly 60 percent of Thailand's global durian exports, according to U.N. trade statistics."