There is a month that durian exports to China increased by 4,100%. Every day, the number of trucks carrying durian for exports cannot be counted. The specialty fruit of Vietnam got a big win when being officially exported to China and it is forecast to earn billions of USD in 2023.
RECORD EARNINGS
In the last days of 2022, durian gardeners in western Vietnam hurriedly cut the fruit for sale. The purchasing prices of durian of all types are over 80,000 VND/kg, Durian of types 2 and 3 are also purchased at 50,000 VND/kg.
The demand in the domestic market and China increase, so the price of durian in the garden increases day by day,” said Mr. Manh Khuong, an owner of a durian barn in Can Tho.
Referring to exports to China, Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Phung Duc Tien said that there was a month that durian exports to this market increased by more than 4,100%. Every day, the number of trucks carrying durians for exports cannot be counted.
In mid-September 2022, a 100-tonne durian shipment of a garden in Dak Lak was officially exported to China. This is the first shipment of official exports under the signing protocol between the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and the Chinese General Department of Customs in July 2022.
Durian exports to China increased to a record level. (Photo: Internet)
Speaking to CCTV13 channel of China Central Television on September 21, Mr. Lam Long Duc – General Director of Viet Hai Global Supply Chain Co., Ltd (China) – said: “It takes only two hours to bring durian from Vietnam to Huu Nghi border gate. Durian retains its freshness. Chinese consumers will now be able to enjoy good durian at competitive prices.”
Soon after approaching the first durian shipment, Mr. Duc said his business is about to buy one million durians from Vietnam, then expand the scale, along with Vietnamese businesses investing in growing areas and building processing plants.
Durian shipments from Lam Dong, the Western of Vietnam, etc followed one another on the way to China. Enterprises have received big orders from Chinese importers.
For example, Dung Thai Son Import-Export Trading Joint Stock Company received an order of 500,000 tonnes of durian. Van Xuan Phat Import-Export Company Limited revealed that it regularly exports 1,000 tonnes per month by the orders of its partners.
Recently at a fruit forum, Mr. Bob Wang – Chairman of the Nanning Business Association (Guangxi, China), wants to import about 1,500 containers of Vietnamese durian from now to Lunar New Year to serve the market.
Similarly, Ms. Tra My – Chairman of the Vietnam Provisional Business Association in China, informed that the business association has successfully negotiated an order of 10,000 tonnes of durian with a major importer of China.
According to statistics, in October 2022 alone, our country’s durian export turnover to China reached nearly 50 million USD, up 4,120% over the same period last year. This is an unprecedented increase in the history of Vietnam’s durian industry.
Notably, in October, China’s durian import was at 90.7 million USD. This means Vietnam became the largest durian supplier to the billion-population market in October.
By the end of October 2022, the export turnover of the whole durian industry reached 293.6 million USD, up 91.5% over the same period in 2021. Currently, durian accounts for 17.3% of the total export value of Vietnamese fruit in 10 months of 2022.
IT WILL BECOME A BILLION USD FRUIT
Ms. Ngo Tuong Vy, General Director of Chanh Thu Fruit Export Group Joint Stock Company, said that this is just the beginning of durian export to China. 2023 will be the acceleration period of this product and the revenue is expected to double. Many importers have placed large orders, exceeding the supply capacity of this business.
According to Mr. Dang Phuc Nguyen, General Secretary of the Vietnam Fruit and Vegetable Association: China is the largest durian consumption market in the world. Each year, this country spends several billion USD to import durian. From September 2022 to now, Vietnam’s durian exports to China have increased by a record level.
Experts forecast that in 2023, durian export will reach one billion USD (Photo: Tam An)
“The order for durian for Tet holiday by importers is very much. It is expected that in 2022, durian export turnover can reach nearly 400 million USD, especially export to China is estimated at 300 million USD, ” he said.
According to Mr. Nguyen, Vietnamese durian has many competitive advantages compared to Thai durian. For example, although Thai durian is focused on a large area, it is only seasonal. Meanwhile, in Vietnam, there are many different growing areas with different harvest times, so durians are available for export all year round.
It only takes 1.5 days to transport durian from Vietnam to China so the freshness of durian can be ensured. Meanwhile, it takes about 10 days to bring durian from Thailand to China. Not to mention that the freight charged to the price of Vietnam’s durian is cheaper than in Thailand. These are the advantages that make Vietnamese durian confidently compete with Thai durian in the Chinese market.
“Durian production in Vietnam is now over one million tonnes. If we do well in growing areas, packaging facilities, and stable quality, in 2023, exports of this item can earn more than one billion USD, ” Mr. Nguyen said.
According to the Plant Protection Department (MARD), durian prices have tripled since the protocol became effective, creating more income for farmers.
Recently, the General Department of Customs of China approved 32 planting area codes and 05 durian packaging facility codes of Vietnam that meet the requirements of the protocol, and fresh durian is allowed to be exported to this country.
Up to now, Vietnam has been granted a total of 113 codes of planting areas and packaging facilities by China. The Plant Protection Department forecasts that this figure will continue to increase because another 300 codes are in the process of online inspection to complete the procedure and waiting for licensing.
Being granted more codes will help Vietnamese durian to have more favorable conditions when exporting to China. However, the Plant Protection Department advised businesses, cooperatives, and farmers to ensure the spirit of cooperation and harmonization of interests among the parties in the management of planting areas and packaging facility codes. From there, we can stabilize the raw material area and ensure durian quality towards sustainable export./.