Vietnamese Coconuts and Frozen Durians Nearing China Market Access

According to a report from Việt Nam News, there are currently 876 durian cultivation areas and packaging facilities in Vietnam that are qualified for export to China and have been issued the necessary codes by China’s General Administration of Customs, thereby creating favorable conditions for the further development of Vietnam’s durian trade with China.

Vietnamese durians boast high yields and year-round availability, coupled with short transit times to China. Market access to China for fresh durians from Vietnam through regular trade channels was granted in July 2022, with the first shipments being sent less than two months later in September. Exports of Vietnamese durians have since surged, skyrocketing from $288 million in 2022 to $2.1 billion in 2023, of which China accounted for $2.03 billion. This trade has had a marked effect on Vietnam’s fruit and vegetable sector as a whole, with the total export value reaching $5.6 billion in 2023, a year-on-year increase of 66.7%, according to data from Vietnam’s General Department of Customs.

In the first two months of 2024, Vietnam’s fruit and vegetable exports continued to see robust growth, with the value increasing by over 70% to reach $970 million. The main export items included fresh durians, coconuts, dragon fruit, grapefruit, bananas, lemons, grapes and mangos, with durians remaining the dominant product in terms of value.

At present, negotiations to open up the Chinese market to Vietnamese coconuts and frozen durians are almost complete. The inclusion of these two items is anticipated to help boost Vietnam’s fruit and vegetable exports to $6.5 billion in 2024.

According to the Plant Protection Department of Vietnam’s Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, the durian cultivation area in the country’s southern provinces had reached 62,173 hectares by the beginning of 2024, representing an increase of 15,000 hectares compared with the start of last year. In addition, provinces in the South Central Coast and Central Highlands regions now have a durian cultivation area of 57,101 hectares, corresponding to a year-on-year increase of more than 19,200 hectares.

By 2025, it is estimated that the demand for durians on the Chinese market will have soared to $20 billion, while the global market demand will have reached $28.6 billion. Thus, there are expected to be significant opportunities for the Vietnamese durian sector if it can grow sustainably. To broaden Vietnam’s durian market, the industry has urged growers and companies to not only expand their cultivation areas but also prioritize improvements in quality and post-harvest management and explore ways to create value-added durian products through processing.

Image: Pixabay

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