Data from the General Department of Customs shows that in the first 7 months of the year, Vietnam’s durian exports reached nearly 1.6 billion USD, an increase of 50% over the same period in 2023.
New opportunities for Vietnamese durian
China remains the main market in terms of import value. Fresh durian is the product that brings in the most income from foreign currency with a value of more than 1.47 billion USD, an increase of almost 53%. In addition, processed durian (freeze dried) reached 787,000 USD, an increase of more than 351 times, it is the product with the highest growth value in the Chinese market in the first 7 months of the year.
In second place is Thailand, spending 65 million USD to buy Vietnamese durian, an increase of 51% over the same period last year. Just last year, Thailand was ranked 8, which shows that Vietnam’s durian potential is increasingly open. Hong Kong was in third place with an import turnover of nearly 19 million USD, an increase of nearly 24%.
Other markets such as Korea, Papua New Guinea, Japan and Cambodia increased significantly from 50% to tens of thousands of percent.
In particular, from June until now, Cambodia has suddenly increased the import of Vietnamese durian. The reason explained by the Vietnam Fruit and Vegetable Association is because the country’s harvest has ended, so the number of products from Vietnam has increased.
According to statistics from the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Vietnamese durian is currently being exported to 22 countries and regions. Besides fresh durian, frozen durian is a popular product business exported to many countries.
Along with that, the area Vietnamese durian growing rapidly. In 2023, the area across the country will reach more than 150,000 hectares, corresponding to a durian production of more than 1.2 million tons.
Compared to 2015, the planting area has increased 5 times, when the area at that time reached 32,000 hectares, with a yield of 366,000 tons.
Looking at the market, Mr. Dang Phuc Nguyen, Secretary General of the Vietnam Fruit and Vegetable Association, said that Vietnamese durian is becoming increasingly popular in many countries due to year-round production, competitive prices, logistics costs low, especially when they go through China.
In particular, in August, Vietnam and China signed a protocol for the export of frozen durian, which opens great opportunities for Vietnamese agricultural products. Mr. Nguyen also expected that the opening of the market in China will help the export turnover of frozen durian to reach 400 – 500 million dollars this year.
Even if frozen durian cannot be exported, Mr. Nguyen still believes that Vietnam’s durian is still expected to reach an export value of 3 – 3.5 billion USD in 2024.
In addition to the Chinese market, Vietnamese durian is currently trying to expand to several potential markets such as Korea, Asean and especially targeting the Indian market of billions of people.
According to the an expert For economic and export industries, market expansion is an inevitable direction to reduce the potential risks of over-reliance on a single market.
Durian processing has many expectations
In addition to the export of fresh fruit, businesses have focused on processing durian to add value and have more opportunities to increase market share and control the import market.
It is an enterprise with strengths in fruit export worldMr. Nguyen Dinh Tung, General Director of Vina T&T Group Import-Export Company admitted that besides fresh durian, frozen durian is very popular in many markets.
Currently, Vina T&T has exported frozen durian to many places, but especially to countries where fresh durian cannot reach. Frozen products are also diversified to meet the needs of export markets such as whole durian, whole durian with seeds, whole without seeds, frozen in the form of ice cream, crisp for processing.
With China opening the door to Vietnam’s frozen durian, said the head of Vina T&T, this is good news for businesses to expand and go deeper into the Chinese domestic market.
The reason is that fresh fruit exports currently have a limited storage time, so they can only be sold in markets that are not too far from the border between the two countries. At the same time, deep in the interior of China, people spending High income earners are still out of reach, so frozen durian will open opportunities to penetrate deep into these areas.
Mr. Tung estimated that just by exporting frozen durian to the Chinese market, Vina T&T is expected to increase its revenue by 30% annually, equivalent to about 25 million USD a soon.
“The current concern is the ability of freezing to preserve durian. Vietnam must invest in a large, modern freezing system. However, we should not worry too much because we have many industries now investing. technology especially producing durian for export to distant markets such as the USA and the EU…” – said Mr. Tung.
This person also said that deep processing of durian products, and especially the export of frozen durian, will solve the production pressure during the peak harvest season. Not to mention, exporting frozen goods also helps in increasing the volume and value of exports at the same time.
Ms. Tran Thi Yen Phi, CEO of DSW Trading and Services Co., Ltd., said that the agricultural product export unit on the cross-border e-commerce platform also recognizes frozen durian (whole and split) that popular with many countries. Apart from China, the USA, Australia and Europe markets are very possible.
Currently, Ms. Phi’s business is still focused on development in China, as revenue from this market accounts for 98% of durian export value.
Mr. Dang Phuc Nguyen also admitted that frozen or deep processed durian has been exported to Thailand, USA, Europe, Japan… Now that the door is open to the Chinese market, there Durian export value is expected to increase significantly to 3 – 3.5 billion USD. Frozen durian is expected to reach 400-500 million dollars this year.
“In the future, China will increase imports of split frozen durian because it is convenient to remove waste from the store, ensuring food safety requirements. environment of their country, while reducing transport costs. Frozen durian can be the main product that brings high value,” said Mr. Nguyen.
Need to expand growing areas and packaging facilities
Market expansion is very important, but quality and reputation are still the deciding factors. To export sustainably and expand many markets, we should improve quality, control harmful microorganisms, management grow area codes to avoid violations. Develop durian processing capacity and technology.
In addition, growing areas and packing facilities must be expanded to accommodate our country’s durian production capacity of more than 150,000 hectares.
Mr. Nguyen Van Muoi, Deputy Head of the Southern Division of the Vietnam Horticulture Association, and Deputy Secretary General of the Vietnam Fruit and Vegetable Association
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