SOURCE: Dat Nguyen, VNExpress
A railway linking Laos with China is serving as a key transportation vehicle for durian, bringing 150,000 tonnes the fruit to Chinese customers so far this year.
The figure, compiled as of August 26, rose 91% year-on-year, according to China Railway Kunming Group, as reported by Xinhua.
During peak durian season, rapid transfer operations are carried out daily at the Hongyun International Logistics Port container platform near a rail station in Kunming, the capital of southwest China’s Yunnan Province.
In less than 40 minutes, around 18 tonnes of durian are shifted from railway containers to trucks and then delivered to nearby fruit markets.
“Through the China-Laos Railway’s Lancang-Mekong Express, goods can be delivered from Vientiane, Laos, to Kunming in just 26 hours,” said Ou Daoqing, head of the marketing department at the Kunming International Land Port.
Since opening on Dec. 3, 2021, the China-Laos Railway has become a key logistics link between China and ASEAN.
Before the railway was built, durians from Southeast Asia reached China by road or sea, which meant long transit times, delays from weather, and a higher risk of damage.
“The China-Laos Railway has significantly reduced both the damage rate and transportation costs for imported durian,” said Wang Hao, general manager of a Chinese trading company, as cited by Xinhua.
Along with efficient railway transport, improved logistics facilities have also boosted the durian supply chain.
Five combined rail-road transport routes now connect Laos with southwestern China’s Sichuan Province, enabling fast distribution throughout China.
A cold-chain special train recently carried nearly 300 tonnes of durian arrived in Sichuan from Vientiane.
After transshipment, the fruit was rapidly sent to markets in Beijing, Xi’an, Lhasa and Guangzhou.
Since its launch, the China-Laos Railway has transport 60 million tonnes of goods as of May, according to The Laotian Times.
It now handles more than 3,000 product categories, compared to 10 initially.
China is the world’s largest durian market, importing nearly $7 billion worth of the fruit last year, mainly from Thailand, Vietnam and Malaysia.