Durians Now Vietnam’s Top Fruit Export, With Over 90% Going to China

According to Vietnamese media reports, the country’s durian exports in the first five months of 2023 were more than tenfold higher than the same period of last year, reaching a total export value of $526 million and surpassing dragon fruit to become Vietnam’s biggest fruit export. Some Vietnamese industry insiders have reportedly referred to the rapid rise of durians as “a miracle.”

The dramatic increase in durian exports comes after China last year granted market access to fresh Vietnamese durians via official trade channels. In the first five months of this year, Vietnam exported durians to over 22 countries and regions. However, China was the largest export market, accounting for 90.68% of total exports.

Meanwhile, statistics from Vietnam Customs show that dragon fruit exports were down 11% compared with the same period of last year, with an export value of just $307 million. In fact, the country’s dragon fruit exports have been in decline since 2019, with the COVID-19 pandemic and resulting logistical challenges a major contributor. In 2021, Vietnam’s dragon fruit exports reached $1.031 billion, while durian exports totaled less than $178 million. In 2022, Vietnam’s dragon fruit and durian exports were worth $633 million and $420 million, respectively.

Dang Phuc Nguyen, general secretary of the Vietnam Fruit and Vegetable Association, expects Vietnam’s fresh durian exports to reach $1.2 billion in 2023 and surpass $2 billion within the next two years. So far, 293 plantations and 115 packaging plants in Vietnam have been approved to export fresh durians to China, with a further 400 plantations and 60 packaging plants currently undergoing review.

According to statistics from China’s General Administration of Customs, China imported 535,520 metric tons of fresh durians worth approximately $2.66 billion in the first five months of 2023. Thailand remained the largest supplier, accounting for almost 85% of China’s durian import value ($2.25 billion). Although Vietnam is still lagging behind Thailand in terms of total durian exports, the industry shows great potential to improve in the near future.

Image: Pixabay

This article was translated from Chinese. Read the original article.