Secrets of Indonesian Durian Capturing China's Rp137 Trillion Market Revealed
The Head of the Indonesian Quarantine Agency (Barantin), Sahat M Panggabean, directly inspected preparations for exporting Indonesian durian from Palu City, Central Sulawesi, to China via sea routes. This visit underscores Central Sulawesi’s position as one of the leading regions in national durian commodity exports.
“Central Sulawesi has the highest export volume compared to other regions in Indonesia,” Sahat stated during his inspection of the export preparation site in Palu on Wednesday.
The target for exporting Montong durian from Central Sulawesi in 2026 is 8,100 tonnes, valued at approximately Rp750 billion. Up to the January–April 2026 period, export value has reached Rp377.5 billion with a volume of 4,077 tonnes.
In the near future, the release of durian exports to China is scheduled for 16 April, valued at Rp42.5 billion and with a volume of 459 tonnes. The activity will take place at the packing house of PT Duco Food Indonesia in Palu City.
Sahat hopes that this export increase will directly impact the welfare of farmers. “We hope the rising export value will benefit society, especially farmers,” he said.
Demand for durian in the Chinese market reaches US$8 billion, or equivalent to Rp137 trillion, per year. Indonesia is considered to have great opportunities to capture that market share, particularly with superior varieties such as Bawor, Super Tembaga, and Namlung.
“Indonesia is optimistic about capturing 5 to 10 percent of the market share there, with potential foreign exchange of Rp6.4 to Rp12.8 trillion per year,” he stated.
Based on data from the Central Sulawesi Statistics Agency (BPS) for 2025, the number of durian trees in the province reaches approximately 3.7 million trees. Of that number, 1.2 million trees are productive, while 2.2 million others are still not yet productive.
The potential durian production in Central Sulawesi is estimated at 95,140 tonnes, spread across various districts/cities, with the largest production centres in Poso Regency and Parigi Moutong Regency.
Sahat added that direct exports via sea routes provide significant efficiency in the distribution chain. Delivery time can be reduced from the previous 56 days to just 22 to 26 days, while also cutting logistics costs by up to two times.
This efficiency also impacts the increase in purchase prices at the farmer level. In addition, the selling price of Indonesian durian in the Chinese market is said to be higher than that of Thailand, with a difference of 10 to 20 percent for each fruit grade.