Coronavirus leaves tropical fruit rotting at China border crossings

Farmers in Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam hit hard as city lock-downs disrupt trade

Watermelons in front of Myanmar's border with China in Muse in 2018: For the immediate future, farmers will have to find other markets for their produce as borders with China remain closed.

YUCHI NITTA and APORNRATH PHOONPHONGPHIPHAT, Nikkei staff writers

February 6, 2020 18:36 JST

YANGON/BANGKOK -- Farmers across Southeast Asia are struggling to sell their crops to their biggest customer as the coronavirus shuts down vital border trade with China.

Exporters from Myanmar, Vietnam and Thailand are faced with the choice of flooding domestic markets with their produce, or seeing it rot at closed border crossings.