After 4 years of waiting, China is about to receive the first durians grown on Hainan Island; Although it is too early to assess the impacts on the durian market, Vietnamese businesses also need to soon have strategies to maintain market share in the most important export market of durian fruit.

Thailand's The Nation news agency, citing the Thai Trade Promotion Office in Xiamen (China), said that this country has successfully produced durian on Hainan Island, marking a significant achievement for Chinese durian industry.

Meanwhile, according to China News Service, durians grown in China's Hainan Island will be released to the domestic market during this time after 4 years of planting.

It is known that China is experimenting with growing durian in areas such as Hainan, Sanya, and Yucai with about 500 trees currently bearing fruit. China is aiming to develop the durian area to about 6,600 hectares in the next 3 to 5 years.

Vietnam continues to rank second in fresh durian exports to China with a market share of 23% compared to 15% in the same period last year. Photo: Can Tho Newspaper.

However, according to the Thai Trade Promotion Office in Xiamen, the fact that China has begun harvesting durians has not had a significant impact on the import of Thai durians due to limited output.

Likewise, China's durian area is growing quite modestly compared to Vietnam's durian area by the end of 2023; Vietnam's total durian area has reached 150,000 hectares (an increase of 146,800 hectares compared to 2015), durian output is 1.2 million tons. However, durian farmers and businesses also need to prepare strategies to maintain the market; Because currently in the Chinese market, Vietnamese durian is competing with Thai durian, and soon Malaysian durian.

According to data from the General Department of Vietnam Customs, by the end of May, Vietnam's export of durian of all kinds had earned nearly 920 million USD, an increase of 74.5% over the same period in 2023. Of which, China accounts for more than 93% of total exports with a turnover of 857.8 million USD, up 78.8% over the same period last year.

China Customs Authority said that Vietnam continues to rank second in fresh durian exports to China with a market share of 23% compared to 15% in the same period last year.

Specifically, this country imported 582,624 tons of fresh durian in the first 5 months of the year worth nearly 2.9 billion USD, an increase of 8.7% in volume and 7.4% in value compared to the same period in 2023. Of which, imports from Thailand, the largest durian supplier to China, decreased by 2.5% to 2.2 billion USD. In contrast, imports from Vietnam increased by 61% to 661.1 million USD. In addition, China also imports durian from the Philippines but the volume is not significant.

According to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, fruit and vegetable exports in June 2024 are estimated to reach nearly 780 million USD. In the first 6 months of 2024, fruits and vegetables hold the leading position in exports among agricultural products, with a turnover of nearly 3.5 billion USD, an increase of more than 28% over the same period last year.

The Vietnam Fruit and Vegetable Association forecasts that fruit and vegetable export turnover this year could reach 7-7.5 billion USD; If there are more frozen durian or fresh coconut products participating according to Vietnam's current negotiation agreements with China, it can increase better.

Source: danviet.vn