In the early months of 2025, the export of durian, a billion-dollar fruit, sharply declined to the third position. Dragon fruit and banana are gradually taking the top positions in the export value of fruits and vegetables.
Statistics from the Customs Department show that in 2024, durian was the item with the highest export value of 3.21 billion USD, accounting for nearly 45% of the total value in the fruit and vegetable industry.
However, in the first two months of this year, durian exports declined by 69.3% compared to the same period last year, worth only 52.6 million USD.
Notably, after holding the top position for two years, the “king of fruits” has dropped to third place in Vietnam’s fruit and vegetable export turnover, now accounting for less than 7.7%. Specifically, exports to the top market, China, decreased by 83%, down to 27 million USD.
Dragon fruit has risen to become the No. 1 export fruit of Vietnam.
According to the Vietnam Fruit and Vegetable Association, the decline in durian exports is due to the fact that since the beginning of this year, China, the market consuming 95% of Vietnam’s durian, unexpectedly required all imported durian shipments to have Cadmium and O-phenylphenol residue analysis results from laboratories recognized by this country.
In addition, Vietnam’s durians exported to the EU also have to endure an increase in inspection frequency at the border from 10% to 20%.
The sharp decline in durian exports has caused dragon fruit and bananas to gradually take the lead in the fruit and vegetable export turnover in the early months of the year.
Specifically, in February alone, dragon fruit exports reached 35 million USD, accounting for 13.6% of the total fruit and vegetable export value. In the first two months of the year, the export of dragon fruit reached 93.8 million USD, accounting for 14.3% of the total export value.
Banana exports in February also saw significant growth, reaching 40.8 million USD, an increase of 32% compared to January. In the first two months, this “superfruit” reached 71.6 million USD, surpassing coconuts and durians to take the second position in export value.
Currently, China is the largest export market for bananas from Vietnam. This market increased its banana imports from Vietnam in 2024, reaching nearly 625,250 tons, worth about 261.5 million USD. Accordingly, for the first time in 10 years, Vietnam has replaced the Philippines to become the leading banana supplier to the Chinese market.
According to Mr. Dang Phuc Nguyen, General Secretary of the Vietnam Fruit and Vegetable Association, the strong recovery of dragon fruit exports is helping this fruit regain its position. Now, the price of dragon fruit remains high, with 30,000-35,000 VND/kg for type I, 28,000 VND/kg for type II, and 23,000-24,000 VND for type III.
In previous years, dragon fruit brought the highest export value to the fruit and vegetable industry. Mr. Nguyen believes that dragon fruit is the “superfruit” in the world due to the benefits it brings to human health. Dragon fruit is popular in the Chinese market, with 90% of China’s imported dragon fruit from Vietnam.