Vietnam’s 2023 Durian Exports Set To Top $1.2 Billion

According to Vietnamese media reports, it is forecast that Vietnam’s durian exports will reach a value of $1.2–1.5 billion this year, marking a threefold increase compared with last year, fueled by robust demand from the Chinese market. A total of 293 durian planting areas and 115 packaging facilities have been granted official export codes by China’s General Administration of Customs.

This rapid growth in durian exports has driven up Vietnamese durian prices. In July, prices of Ri6 durians reportedly increased by 7,400 Vietnamese dong ($0.31) per kilogram to 80,000 dong ($3.36) per kilogram, according to data from Vietnam’s Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.

Currently, fresh and frozen durians from Vietnam have been exported to 22 countries and regions, including the United Kingdom, Australia and the United States. However, China remains by far the biggest buyer, accounting for 95% of Vietnam’s total durian exports.

In recent years, Vietnamese dragon fruit exports have dipped below the billion-dollar mark, while durians have surged ahead to become Vietnam’s top fruit export. In 2021, the value of Vietnamese durian exports was only $178 million, whereas dragon fruit exports were worth over $1 billion. In 2022, however, durians started to catch up after securing China market access in the second half of the year, causing exports to skyrocket to $421 million while durian exports plummeted to $632 million. This trend has continued in 2023, with Vietnamese dragon fruit exports to China continuing to fall on account of greater domestic production, while exports of Vietnamese durians to China have displayed a robust upward trajectory.

Image: iStock

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