Hainan's homegrown durian industry blossoms

Photo shows a durian tree laden with durians in the Yucai Ecological Zone, Sanya, south China's Hainan Province. (People's Daily Online/Meng Fansheng)

"This year's domestically grown durians are expected to reach 2,000 tonnes," said Lang Haibo, deputy general manager of Hainan Youqi Agricultural Company, amid the scorching July sunshine at the lush durian plantation in the Yucai Ecological Zone, Sanya, south China's Hainan Province.

When the company's research team first "tested the waters" by planting the first batch of durian seedlings in the ecological zone in 2018, they faced a daunting reality: a mortality rate exceeding 40 percent in the first year.

"This 570-mu (38-hectare) base is our earliest plantation," Lang said, adding that the trial cultivation process proved extraordinarily challenging due to problems such as soil compaction, pest and disease management, and water-fertilizer ratios.

Photo shows a durian base in Mingshan village in the Yucai Ecological Zone, Sanya, south China's Hainan Province. (People's Daily Online/Meng Fansheng)

Thanks to the collective efforts of researchers, these obstacles were eventually overcome one by one. In 2023, China's first home-grown durians entered the market.

Intelligent monitoring systems now provide real-time water and fertilizer management, while drones patrol to assess growth conditions. These precision management achievements have yielded impressive results: in 2025, about 4,000 mu of the company's more than 14,000 mu of durians will be ready for harvest, with an expected output of 2,000 tonnes.

In 2024, Mingshan village in the ecological zone utilized over 3 million yuan ($417,612.09) in rural revitalization funds to establish a cooperative partnership with the company.

Photo shows a bird's-eye view of a durian base in the Yucai Ecological Zone, Sanya, south China's Hainan Province. (People's Daily Online/Meng Fansheng)

"More than 500 durian trees on over 50 mu of land will begin bearing fruit after four years, which is expected to generate about 2 million yuan in annual revenue for the village collective," said Cai Jun, head of the resident working team and first secretary of the village.

Managing these durian trees requires manpower, providing an additional income channel for the village's previously impoverished households and residents.

Chen Hongqing, a formerly impoverished resident, now can earn 160 yuan per day tending to durian trees.

Since its launch in March 2024, the village's durian cultivation project has created a total of 95 job opportunities for villagers and paid out over 160,000 yuan in wages.

Photo shows a view of a training session in a durian base in the Yucai Ecological Zone, Sanya, south China's Hainan Province. (People's Daily Online/Meng Fansheng)

"In the future, we plan to incorporate local landscapes and folk customs to develop durian-themed rural tourism and promote integrated agriculture, culture, and tourism to further boost rural revitalization," Cai said as he stood next to the thriving trees.

"Our planned durian cultivation area spans about 100,000 mu. Currently, our first durian deep-processing production line has entered the testing phase and is expected to begin formal operation by late July," Lang said, adding that the plant will directly provide nearly 100 jobs, enabling more local villagers to find work close to home.