Durian export value can surpass USD 3 billion

From a province that mainly grows industrial crops such as cashews and rubber..., in recent years, the area of ​​fruit trees has been increasing rapidly in Binh Phuoc, including durian.

According to Mr. Tran Van Phuong, Deputy Director of Binh Phuoc Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, the durian tree area is increasing rapidly in the province. In 2020, Binh Phuoc only had 2,800 hectares of durian. Now, it has expanded to 7,500 hectares. In this area, durian accounts for about 44% of the total fruit-growing area of Binh Phuoc province. Binh Phuoc's durian area may even increase because, according to the province's planning, by 2025, the total area of fruit trees will be 20,000 hectares, but it has only reached 17,000 hectares. With the enormous profits brought by durian trees, farmers consider durian a top priority when expanding the area for growing fruit trees.

Not only in Binh Phuoc, but the durian area is also increasing rapidly in many other provinces and across the country. Mr. Tran Hoang Nhat Nam, Deputy Director of Tien Giang Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, said that the durian area in this province is currently about 22,000 hectares, higher than the planned area until 2025. In Dak Nong, there are over 10,000 hectares of durian, of which over 4,000 hectares have been harvested with an output of more than 40,000 tons... The provinces with the largest durian area today are Dak Lak (nearly 33,000 hectares), Lam Dong (nearly 23,000 hectares). The region with the largest durian area is the Central Highlands, with 75,000 hectares, followed by the Mekong Delta with 43,000 hectares, and the Southeast with 25,000 hectares...

Mr. Nguyen Quoc Manh, Deputy Director of the Department of Crop Production, said that over the past ten years, the area of durian in Vietnam has continuously increased yearly, with an average growth rate of 19.5%. If, in 2015, Vietnam only had nearly 32,000 hectares of durian, then by 2023, it reached almost 151,000 hectares. Durian output also increased yearly and reached almost 1.2 million tons in 2023 (2015 output was 366 thousand tons), an average increase of 14.7% annually.

With the above area and output, Vietnam is one of Southeast Asia's largest durian-producing countries. In 2022, Thailand planted 137,000 hectares of durian, with an output of 1.32 million tons; Malaysia grew 86,000 hectares of durian, with an output of 448 thousand tons. In Indonesia, current durian production is about 1.7 million tons, of which about 50 thousand tons are exported.

Thus, it can be seen that not only Vietnam but also many Southeast Asian countries are promoting durian development when the world durian market is forecast to continue to increase sharply in scale. According to Polaris Market Research Analysis, by 2023, the world's durian market size was USD 25.01 billion (China accounts for 80%), which is forecast to be USD 46.09 billion by 2032.

Currently, leading durian exporting countries such as Thailand and Malaysia are focusing on improving quality and promoting durian exports to China through many different routes. For example, Thailand is exporting durian via Laos' high-speed railway.

Therefore, in addition to promoting the issuance of durian growing area codes and durian packaging facility codes to increase the export capacity of fresh durian fruit, many localities and businesses are looking forward to the Protocol allowing the export of frozen durian to the Chinese market and negotiating to open other potential markets such as India.

Regarding this issue, Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Hoang Trung said that up to this point, both sides have technically completed the Protocol for exporting Vietnamese frozen durian to China and are waiting for approval and the right time to sign.

To date, Vietnamese fresh durian has been exported to 22 markets. In 2022, durian exports reached a record of nearly USD 2.3 billion. In the export history of Vietnam's fruit and vegetable industry, durian is the only fruit that has exceeded the USD 2 billion mark.

Mr. Dang Phuc Nguyen, General Secretary of the Vietnam Fruit and Vegetable Association (Vinafruit), commented that with output, market demand, and export growth in the first months of the year, durian exports this year ultimately could exceed the USD 3 billion mark.

According to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, in March 2024, fruit and vegetable export turnover reached USD 433 million. Cumulatively in the first three months of 2024, fruit and vegetable export turnover reached USD 1.23 billion, up 25.8% over the same period last year.

This is the first time fruit and vegetable exports exceeded USD 1 billion in the first quarter. It is forecast that in 2024, fruit and vegetable exports will grow 15-20% compared to 2023, reaching a new record of USD 6-6.5 billion.

Among Vietnam's fruit and vegetable products, durian has the most significant export value, with an estimated turnover of USD 254 million in the first quarter of 2024, an increase of 66% over the same period in 2023. The value of durian exports to China accounts for 98% of Vietnam's total durian export turnover.