Vietnam earned US$1.1 billion from durian exports during the first seven months of the year, usurping dragon fruit which has been the country’s leading fruit export item.

The high export growth eventually pushed up durian prices in the domestic market. In July the price of Ri6 durian increased by VND7,400 per kilogramme to VND80,000 per kilogramme, according to  the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.

The export revenue of the fruit is forecast to fetch nearly US$1.2 billion to US$1.5 billion this year, marking a staggering three-fold increase compared to last year.

This remarkable surge can be attributed to the growing demand coming from China, which is being facilitated by an agreement inked with the neighbouring country in July 2022.

China has since granted approval to Vietnamese durian growing areas and packaging facility codes over recent times.

Currently, Vietnam boasts a total of 293 farming areas and 115 packaging facilities which have been granted official export codes by Chinese customs authorities.

Since the first batch of durian was shipped to China through official channels in September 2022, Vietnam has sought to expand its export market for durian to 22 countries and territories. Indeed, China remains the largest buyer, accounting for a whopping 95% of the total export revenue from durian.

The country has also shipped fresh and frozen durians to the UK, Australia, and the United States.

In 2022, durian generated slightly over US$421 million in revenue for Vietnam, whereas dragon fruit stood at nearly US$633 million. However, looking at the previous year in 2021, dragon fruit surpassed the US$1 billion mark in export revenue, while that of durian stood below US$178 million.

VOV