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Vietnam's durian is entering the peak harvest season. Photo: Dak Nong Newspaper

Vietnam's durian is available year-round, but the middle months of the year mark the main harvest season. According to the Department of Crop Production (Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development), this year's durian output is estimated at 1.5 million tons, a sharp increase compared to last year.

Currently, in the southern region, the Monthong durian is priced at 94,000-95,000 VND/kg, and the Ri6 is priced at 63,000-65,000 VND/kg. In the Central Highlands, durian prices range from 61,000 to 92,000 VND/kg, depending on the type.

Mr. Huynh Tan Loc, Director of Ngu Hiep Durian Cooperative (Cai Lay district, Tien Giang province), said that durian prices in the southern region this year are quite good, ranging from 60,000 to 100,000 VND/kg. Despite a decrease in productivity compared to last year, averaging only about 15 tons/ha, farmers still make a profit of about 700 million to 1 billion VND/ha, depending on productivity and selling price after deducting production costs.

For the past two years, the Chinese market has been a major buyer, enabling farmers to sell durian at high prices. Mr. Hoang Van Tron in Ia Krieng commune (Duc Co district, Gia Lai province) revealed that his family's 20ha of 5-6 year old durian trees are expected to yield about 200 tons of fruit this season, earning an estimated 15 billion VND.

Durian is one of the agricultural products favored by the billion-people Chinese market. Last April, Vietnam surpassed Thailand for the first time in exporting this fruit to China.

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In addition to fresh durian, our country is preparing to sign a protocol on exporting frozen durian to China. Photo: Manh Khuong

According to Mr. Dang Phuc Nguyen, General Secretary of the Vietnam Fruit and Vegetable Association, fruit and vegetable exports in the first six months of this year earned about 3.5 billion USD, with durian accounting for 30-35% of the industry's export turnover. This means durian export turnover exceeded 1 billion USD in the first half of this year. Notably, major durian growing areas in Vietnam have just begun the peak harvest season.

Mr. Nguyen Dinh Tung, General Director of Vina T&T Group, stated that the company's durian export volume to China is very stable. This year, the company plans to export about 150 containers of durian to China, equivalent to 2,400 tons.

Statistics from the General Administration of Customs of China indicate that in the first four months of this year, Vietnamese durian accounted for 39.2% of the total fresh durian imported by China, an increase of 25.9 percentage points compared to the same period in 2023. Meanwhile, the proportion of imports from Thailand decreased to 60% of China's total imports, equivalent to a decrease of 26.7 percentage points.

However, in addition to Thailand and the Philippines, Vietnamese durian will face more competition in the Chinese market from Malaysia. From June 19, fresh durian from Malaysia has been officially exported to China after the two countries signed a protocol on phytosanitary requirements for durian. Previously, Malaysia was only allowed to export frozen durian to China.

Mr. Dang Phuc Nguyen stated that China is still the largest durian consumer market in the world. The durian market in China increases sharply every year and can absorb all durian output from Southeast Asian countries.

Among the four countries officially exporting fresh durian to China, Vietnam has many advantages. The durian harvest season in Malaysia, Thailand, and the Philippines lasts only a few months in the middle of the year, while Vietnam has a spread-out harvest season, allowing for exports year-round.

According to Mr. Nguyen, Malaysian durian targets the high-end segment in the Chinese market, while Vietnamese durian is often in the low-end segment, reducing competitive pressure.

In addition to fresh durian, China also spends more than 1 billion USD to import frozen durian. This is a potential segment for Vietnamese durian. Technical negotiations to export frozen durian to China have been completed. If the protocol is signed, the export turnover of this item to China could reach 300 million USD. Consequently, Vietnam's total durian export turnover in 2024 is estimated at 3.5 billion USD.

Tam An