Statistics from the General Department of Customs show that durian continues to be the highest-exporting fruit in the vegetable and fruit sector.
In the first 9 months of 2024, the “king of fruits” brought in 2.82 billion USD, an increase of 63.3% compared to the same period last year, and accounted for more than 50% of Vietnam’s total fruit and vegetable export turnover.
Especially, in September, the export value of durian reached nearly 674 million USD (approximately 16.85 trillion VND), an increase of 24.9% compared to August.
Durian exports brought in nearly 17,000 billion VND in just one month.
China is the largest market for Vietnamese durian, accounting for over 90% of the export value of this billion-dollar fruit.
Mr. Dang Phuc Nguyen, General Secretary of the Vietnam Fruit and Vegetable Association, said that by the end of October, durian exports had reached over three billion USD. At this time, only Vietnam has durian ready for harvest, giving it a near monopoly, especially in the Chinese market.
Regarding the export turnover forecast for this year, Mr. Dang Phuc Nguyen believed that the “king of Vietnamese fruits” could bring in 3.5 billion USD.
In October 2024, the durian production significantly decreased as the harvest in the Central Highlands comes to an end, while the durians from the Mekong Delta and Southeast provinces are in the off-season. The total durian production of the country is about 154.2 thousand tons, down 15% compared to September 2024. In 10 months of 2024, the output is estimated at 1.139 million tons, an increase of over 20% compared to the same period in 2023.
The limited supply of durian has caused prices to increase significantly in October 2024. The price for high-quality Ri6 durian ranges from 100,000 to 105,000 VND/kg, up 40,000 VND/kg. The price for green Ri6 durian is between 85,000 and 90,000 VND/kg, up 45,000 VND/kg. Thai durian of good quality is priced at 130,000-135,000 VND/kg, an increase of 45,000 VND/kg. Meanwhile, green Thai durian prices have risen to 115,000–130,000 VND/kg, an increase of 45,000 VND/kg.