In July, Vietnam exported durian worth USD 280 million (nearly VND 7,000 billion), an increase of 82% over the same period last year, of which the Chinese market accounted for 92%.

According to the General Department of Customs, in July, Vietnam's durian exports of all kinds (including fresh, frozen, and dried) reached over 76 thousand tons, worth USD 280.18 million, a decrease of 30.8% in volume and a decrease of 30.7% in value compared to June; a decrease of 1.7% in volume but an increase of 82% in value compared to July 2023.

Accumulated over 7 months, durian exports of all kinds reached 476.13 tons, worth USD 1.6 billion, an increase of 50.5% in volume and 49.4% in value over the same period last year. This figure is equivalent to 42% of Vietnam's total fruit and vegetable export turnover in the first seven months of the year.

Secretary General of the Vietnam Fruit and Vegetable Association - Dang Phuc Nguyen commented that this is a bumper year for the durian industry, as prices continue to rise, bringing great profits to farmers. Notably, on August 19, Vietnam signed a protocol to export frozen durian to China, opening a new opportunity for the industry, promoting strong development.

Mr. Nguyen emphasized that opening the market to new products such as pureed durian will create higher added value than fresh durian. This not only helps diversify processing, reduce seasonal harvesting pressure but also makes the most of raw materials, especially for fruits that do not meet appearance requirements. Currently, the price of a container of frozen durian is around 5-6 billion VND.

In addition, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development forecasts that durian export turnover this year will reach USD 3-3.5 billion, with frozen durian reaching about USD 400-500 million.

Last year, Vietnam exported about 500,000 tons of fresh durian, worth USD 2.3 billion, of which 90% to China. The durian growing area is 154,000 hectares, the output is nearly 1.2 million tons, with a growth rate of 15% per year.

China remains the main consumer market for Vietnamese durian. According to the Import-Export Department (Ministry of Industry and Trade), in the first half of this year, the price of imported durian into China reached USD 4,760/ton, a decrease of 2.3% compared to the same period last year. Of which, the average import price of durian to China from Vietnam and Malaysia decreased, but from Thailand increased.

Notably, the Cambodian market has had a remarkable growth rate, up to 186 times compared to the same period last year, reaching a value of USD 2.53 million.

Kylie Nguyen