According to statistics from the General Department of Vietnam Customs, in July, the export of durian of all kinds (including fresh, frozen, and dried) from Vietnam reached over 76,000 tons, valued at 280.18 million USD. This marks a decrease of 30.8% in volume and a 30.7% decrease in value compared to June. However, compared to July 2023, there was a 1.7% decrease in volume but an impressive 82% increase in value.
Cumulative data for the first seven months of 2024 shows that the export of various durian products reached 476,130 tons, valued at 1.6 billion USD. This represents a significant increase of 50.5% in volume and a 49.4% surge in value compared to the same period last year. This figure accounts for 42% of Vietnam’s total fruit and vegetable export revenue in the first seven months.
Durian accounts for nearly half of Vietnam’s fruit and vegetable export turnover. Photo: Dau Tu Newspaper
According to sources in the Central Highlands region, durian prices have increased this year due to strong demand from the Chinese market, especially in anticipation of the upcoming Mid-Autumn Festival. This bodes well for a continued surge in durian export turnover in the remaining months of the year.
Dang Phuc Nguyen, Secretary-General of the Vietnam Fruit and Vegetable Association, stated that this has been a bountiful year for the durian industry, with prices consistently rising and bringing significant profits to farmers. Additionally, on August 19, Vietnam signed a protocol on exporting frozen durian to China, marking a new turning point for the industry and paving the way for robust development.
Mr. Nguyen emphasized that opening the market for new products, such as durian puree and durian meat, will create higher added value than fresh durian. This will not only diversify processing methods and reduce harvest pressure during the peak season but also maximize the utilization of raw materials, especially for fruits that do not meet aesthetic requirements. Currently, the price of a container of frozen durian is approximately 5-6 billion VND.
The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development forecasts that the durian export turnover for this year will reach 3-3.5 billion USD, with frozen durian accounting for about 400-500 million USD.
In the previous year, Vietnam exported approximately 500,000 tons of fresh durian, valued at 2.3 billion USD, with 90% of it going to China. The durian cultivation area spanned 154,000 hectares, yielding a production volume of nearly 1.2 million tons, and the industry has been growing at a rate of 15% annually.
China remains the primary consumer market for Vietnamese durian. According to the Import-Export Department (Ministry of Industry and Trade), in the first half of this year, the import price of durian into China reached 4,760 USD/ton, a decrease of 2.3% compared to the same period last year. Among Vietnam, Malaysia, and Thailand, China’s durian imports from Vietnam and Malaysia decreased in price, while imports from Thailand increased.
Thailand was the largest supplier of durian to China in the first half of this year, with a volume of 558,300 tons, valued at 2.85 billion USD. This reflects a decrease of 7% in volume and a 5% drop in value compared to the same period last year.
Thailand’s market share of durian in China’s total imports stood at 67%, a contraction from the 76% recorded in the first half of the previous year.
In contrast, China increased its import of durian from Vietnam in the first half of this year, with a surge of 46% in volume and a 33.3% increase in value compared to the same period last year. This amounts to nearly 273,540 tons, valued at 1.1 billion USD.
Vietnam’s market share of durian in China during this period reached 32.8%, a significant increase of over 9 percentage points compared to the previous year.
A representative of the Import-Export Department (Ministry of Industry and Trade) stated that the fruit and vegetable industry of Vietnam also pins high hopes on the growth of durian exports in the remaining months of the year. Vietnam has the advantage of supplying durian year-round, whereas countries like Thailand and Malaysia are nearing the end of their durian season.
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