爲了滿足中國人的胃,馬來西亞棕櫚油巨頭都改種榴蓮了

The stinky, spiky durian is set to become Malaysia’s next major export as the Southeast Asian nation rushes to develop thousands of acres to cash in on unprecedented demand for the fruit from China.

聞起來有點臭、滿身帶刺的榴蓮將成爲馬來西亞的下一個主要出口產品，馬來西亞正在大規模種植榴蓮， 面積達數千英畝，希望從中國對榴蓮前所未有的旺盛需求中賺取利潤。

Once planted in family orchards and small-scale farms, the durian, described by some as smelling like an open sewer or turpentine when ripe, is attracting investments like never before. Even property tycoons and companies in palm oil, Malaysia’s biggest agricultural export, are making forays into the durian business.

有人將成熟榴蓮的氣味形容爲露天下水道或松脂的氣味，此前只在家庭果園和小規模農場中種植，如今吸引的投資規模可謂前所未有。就連房地產大亨和該國第一大出口農產品棕櫚油的製造商都紛紛進軍榴蓮種植產業。

“The durian industry is transforming from local to global, large-scale farming due to the great demand from China,” said Lim Chin Khee, a durian industry consultant. “Before the boom, a durian farm in Malaysia would be a leisure farm ... Now they are hundreds of acres and bigger, and many more will come.”

馬來西亞榴蓮產業顧問林欽奇（音）說：“（馬來西亞）榴蓮產業正在從本土向全球轉型，大規模種植源於中國的巨大需求，在這波熱潮之前，馬來西亞的榴蓮農場本來是休閒農場……現在它們都是數百英畝，甚至更大，未來還會有更多的榴蓮農場出現。”

Durian may be banned in some airports, public transport and hotels in Southeast Asia for its pungent smell, but the Chinese are huge fans. Durian-flavored foods sold in China include pizza, butter, salad dressing and milk.

儘管東南亞的一些機場、公共交通和酒店禁止攜帶具有刺激性氣味的榴蓮入內，但中國人卻是榴蓮的擁躉，在中國銷售的榴蓮風味食品包括披薩、黃油、沙拉醬和牛奶。

“At first, I also hated durians because I thought they have a weird smell,” said Helen Li, 26, eating at a shop specializing in durian pizza in Shanghai, where nearly every customer ordered the 60 yuan dish during a recent lunch hour rush. “But when you taste it, it’s really quite delicious.”

最近的一個午餐高峯時段，26歲的海倫·李（音）在上海一家主打榴蓮披薩的餐廳吃飯，這家餐廳的幾乎每位客人都點了一份60元的榴蓮披薩。海倫·李說：“最初我也討厭榴蓮，因爲我覺得它氣味怪異，但吃起來，真的太美味了。”

At another Shanghai restaurant selling durian chicken hotpot for around 148 yuan, owner Chen Weihao said the store could sell around 20 to 25 kg of imported Thai durian every month.

而在另一家賣榴蓮雞肉火鍋的上海餐廳，店主陳偉豪（音）說，他的餐廳每月能賣出20至25公斤左右的泰國進口榴蓮。這家餐廳的榴蓮雞肉火鍋每份售價約148元。

Chinese pay top dollar for Malaysia’s ‘Musang King’ variety of durian because of its creamy texture and bitter-sweet taste. Prices of the variety, now planted all over the country, have nearly quadrupled in the last five years.

中國人高價購買馬來西亞的“貓山王”榴蓮，這個品種的榴蓮口感細膩、甜味裏帶着微苦，現在馬來西亞全國各地均有種植。過去5年間，這個品種的價格翻了兩番。

China’s durian imports rose 15 percent last year to nearly 350,000 tonnes worth $510 million, according to the United Nations’ trade database. Nearly 40 percent was from Thailand, the world’s top producer and exporter.

根據聯合國的貿易數據，去年中國的榴蓮進口量增長了15%，達到近35萬噸，價值5.1億美元（約合35億元人民幣），其中近40%來自泰國——世界最大的榴蓮生產國和出口國。

Malaysia accounted for less than 1 percent, but expects sales to China to jump to 22,061 tonnes by 2030 from this year’s likely 14,600 tonnes, as trade is widened to include whole fruit from the current restriction to durian pulp and paste.

榴蓮進口總量中來自馬來西亞的不到1%。但目前馬來西亞出口中國的僅限榴蓮果肉和果醬，未來可能出口整果，預計到2030年，馬來西亞對中國的出口量將從今年的14600噸左右增加到22061噸。

Lim, the consultant, said palm oil giant IOI Corp and property-to-resorts conglomerate Berjaya Corp have approached him about making ventures into durian farming.

林欽奇說，馬來西亞棕櫚油巨頭凱業集團和房地產巨頭成功集團都在向其諮詢有關進軍榴蓮種植業的問題。

State-owned palm oil company Felda said the agricultural ministry began planting durian on its land this year. PLS Plantations last month said it will buy a $5 million stake in a durian exporter.

馬來西亞國有棕櫚油企業費爾達公司稱，今年農業部已開始在其土地上種植榴蓮，林蓬岸種植公司上月稱，該公司計劃出資500萬美元購買一家榴蓮出口商的股份。

M7 Plantation Bhd, a private company established last year, is developing a 10,000-acre durian estate in Gua Musang, home to the Musang King in the eastern state of Kelantan, and is selling durian trees for 5,000 ringgit each.

去年成立的私營公司M7種植公司正在東部吉蘭丹州話望生的“貓山王”榴蓮原產地開發一個佔地1萬英畝（約合4047公頃）的榴蓮種植園，並以每棵5000林吉特（約合8292元人民幣）的價格出售榴蓮樹。

“We founded the company because we see potential in the industry, the primary target being China,” Chief Executive Ng Lee Chin said, adding that most of her buyers were from China.

該公司首席執行官吳麗珍（音）說：“我們成立這家公司是因爲我們看到了這個產業的潛力，我們的首要目標就是中國。”她補充說，大多數買家都來自中國。

“Planting durians is not just a hobby today as durians are considered as ‘gold’ in the agriculture industry,” the agriculture department said in e-mailed comments to Reuters.

馬來西亞農業部在發給路透社的一封郵件中評論說：“如今種植榴蓮已不僅僅是一種愛好，因爲榴蓮被視爲農業的‘黃金’。”

Even Malaysia’s prime minister, Mahathir Mohamad, has seized upon it. “I feel it is time that we produce durians on a large-scale and systematic manner,” he has said.

連馬來西亞總理馬哈蒂爾·穆罕默德也看到了這一商機。他說：“我覺得是時候大規模有系統地種植榴蓮了。”

Malaysia’s durian plantations covered 72,000 hectares last year but the area under cultivation is growing, the department said, and in some areas plantations growing palm oil are switching to durian because it is seen as more lucrative.

馬來西亞農業部表示，馬來西亞榴蓮種植面積去年達到7.2萬公頃，而且還在增加。在一些地區，棕櫚油種植園也開始改種榴蓮，因爲利潤更豐厚。

In March, Malaysia’s then-agriculture minister was quoted as saying one hectare of Musang King could yield nearly nine times more revenue than a hectare of palm plantation.

今年3月，媒體援引時任馬來西亞農業部長的話說，1公頃貓山王榴蓮的產值是1公頃油棕產值的近9倍。

In Sabah state, some of the land for durian farming will come from converting palm estates, its agriculture ministry said, adding it was planning expansion over 5,000 hectares.

馬來西亞農業部稱，沙巴州一些原本用於種植油棕的土地將改種榴蓮，並計劃將榴蓮種植面積擴大到5000公頃以上。