THAI DURIAN FARMERS REAP GAINS FROM SMART SOLUTIONS

Advanced tech helps boost productivity to meet booming global demand

Most people either love it or hate it, but durian — the spiky tropical fruit that "tastes like heaven, and smells like hell" — tops the list of Chinese consumers' favorite food imports from Southeast Asia.

China's love affair with the pungent smelling but sweet and creamy fruit is being met by farmers from Thailand, renowned worldwide as "the king of durian exporters". And now, Chinese agricultural experts have stepped in to help their Thai counterparts upgrade and modernize the industry to meet the booming global demand and improve productivity.

The Thai Digital Economy Promotion Agency launched the Digital Durian Initiative late last year in a bid to modernize agriculture through smart technologies.