Heatwave hammers Thailand’s stinky but lucrative durian farms

The inside of a durian, farmed in Thailand’s eastern Chanthaburi province. (Lillian Suwanrumpha/ AFP).

• Durian, a fruit that is among Thailand’s most famous and lucrative exports, has been farmed for hundreds of years.
• A vicious heatwave engulfing Southeast Asia has resulted in smaller yields and spiralling costs for durian farms.
• Durian season usually lasts from March until June, but soaring temperatures and a subsequent drought have shortened the harvest.
• For climate change news and analysis, go to News24 Climate Future.

Clambering hand-over-hand, sweat dripping into his eyes, a durian labourer expertly slices a cumbersome fruit from a tree before tossing it down to land with a soft thump in his colleague’s waiting arms some 15 metres below.

Among Thailand’s most…