In the first 7 months of the year, durian exports of all kinds reached 476,130 tons, worth 1.6 billion USD, up 50.5% in volume and 49.4% in value over the same period last year.

According to the General Department of Customs, in July, Vietnam's durian exports of all kinds (including fresh, frozen, and dried) reached over 76,000 tons, worth 280.18 million USD, down 30.8% in volume and 30.7% in value compared to June, down 1.7% in volume compared to July 2023, but up 82% in value.

In the first 7 months of 2024, durian exports of all kinds reached 476.13 thousand tons, worth 1.6 billion USD, up 50.5% in volume and 49.4% in value compared to the same period last year. This figure is equivalent to 42% of Vietnam's total fruit and vegetable export turnover in the first 7 months of the year.

Durian accounts for nearly half of Vietnam's total fruit and vegetable export turnover. Photo: Investment Newspaper

According to sources in the Central Highlands, durian prices have increased this year due to strong demand from the Chinese market, especially for the upcoming Mid-Autumn Festival. This predicts that durian export turnover will continue to increase sharply in the last months of the year.

Secretary General of the Vietnam Fruit and Vegetable Association - Dang Phuc Nguyen commented that this is a bumper year for the durian industry, when prices continuously increase, bringing great profits to farmers. In particular, on August 19, Vietnam signed a protocol on exporting frozen durian to China, opening a new turning point for the industry, promoting strong development.

Mr. Nguyen emphasized that opening the market to new products such as pureed durian and durian pulp will create higher added value than fresh durian. This not only helps diversify processing, reduce seasonal harvesting pressure but also makes the most of raw materials, especially for fruits that do not meet appearance requirements. Currently, the price of a container of frozen durian is around 5-6 billion VND.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development forecasts that this year's durian export turnover will reach 3-3.5 billion USD, with frozen durian at around 400-500 million USD.

Last year, Vietnam exported about 500,000 tons of fresh durian, worth 2.3 billion USD, of which 90% went to China. The durian growing area is 154,000 hectares, with an output of nearly 1.2 million tons, with a growth rate of 15% per year.

China remains the main consumer market for Vietnamese durian. According to information from the Import-Export Department (Ministry of Industry and Trade), in the first half of this year, the price of imported durian into China reached 4,760 USD/ton, down 2.3% compared to the same period last year. Of which, the average import price of durian into China from Vietnam and Malaysia, but from Thailand increased.

Thailand was the largest supplier of durian to China in the first half of this year, reaching 558,300 tons, worth 2.85 billion USD, down 7% in volume and 5% in value compared to the same period last year.

Thailand's durian market share in China's total imports was 67%, down from 76% in the first half of last year. In contrast, in the first half of this year, China increased its durian imports from Vietnam, up 46% in volume and 33.3% in value over the same period last year, reaching nearly 273,540 tons, worth 1.1 billion USD.

Vietnam's durian market share in China in the first half of this year reached 32.8%, up more than 9 percentage points over the same period last year.

A representative of the Import-Export Department (Ministry of Industry and Trade) said that the Vietnamese fruit and vegetable industry also has high expectations for the export growth rate of durian in the remaining months of this year. Vietnam has the advantage of a year-round durian supply, while durian from countries such as Thailand and Malaysia is currently at the end of its season.

Source: CafeF