A fruit vendor in Xingtai, Hebei province, China, has attracted attention online after sharing videos of sheep being fed imported Thai durians that could not be sold.
The vendor, identified by the surname Zhao, operates a fruit business and regularly imports Grade A durians from Thailand. According to Zhao, shipments typically consist of 150 to 200 boxes. Some fruit becomes unsellable during transportation or storage due to cracked shells, insufficient ripeness, or quality issues.
Rather than discarding the fruit, Zhao feeds the damaged durians to a flock of more than 30 sheep. The animals primarily consume grass and wheat plants, with fruit used as a supplementary feed. In addition to durian, the sheep are also fed watermelons, bananas, and other fruits.
Thai durians are a high-value imported fruit in China. Zhao said the Grade A durians he purchases cost about 26 yuan (US$3.62) per 500 grams, equivalent to approximately 52 yuan (US$7.24) per kilogram at wholesale level. Retail prices vary depending on variety and season.
Zhao said he has been feeding durians to the sheep two or three times per week for the past two years. He reported changes in the meat quality during that period.
According to Zhao, the lamb has become more tender, with a slight sweet aroma and a less pronounced mutton smell. He said he cannot confirm whether these changes are directly linked to the durian-based feed supplement, although family members and others who have tasted the meat have noted differences compared with ordinary lamb.
Most of the sheep are raised for family consumption, although Zhao occasionally sells meat to neighbours and customers. The meat is sold at 50 yuan (US$6.97) per 500 grams.
The videos generated discussion on Chinese social media, with some users commenting on the feeding practice and others highlighting the use of fruit that would otherwise be discarded.
Zhao said he does not consider selling damaged fruit to consumers and prefers to use the unsellable durians as animal feed rather than attempting to recover losses from fruit that does not meet market requirements.
Source: Khaosod English