Durian, coconut expected to join “1-billion-USD” club of exports

China’s code granting to Vietnamese growers and packagers is said a very favourable condition for Vietnamese durian to enter China.(Photo: thanhnien.vn)

The export of durian and coconut is expected to hit 1 billion USD this year thanks to increasing demand from China, according to experts.

Hong Kong-based newspaper South China Morning Post recently run an article “China’s Vietnamese durian imports seen pushing total demand for fruit to nearly 1 million tonnes a year” which highlights that durian has rapidly become the most popular imported fruit in China, cities bordering Vietnam are stepping up logistics to ensure fresh supplies can reach any Chinese city in one to three days. The article also said that Thailand has dominated the durian market in China for years, and now other Southeast Asian countries are cashing in.

Since Beijing opened its doors to fresh durian from Vietnam last September, as many as 293 planting areas and 115 packing units in Vietnam have received codes to export to China.

Dang Phuc Nguyen, General Secretary of the Vietnam Fruit and Vegetable Association (VINAFRUIT), said that China’s code granting to Vietnamese growers and packagers is a very favourable condition for Vietnamese durian to enter China.

As Thailand is entering harvest time and selling its durian at 55,000-70,000 VND (2.34-2.98 USD) per kilo, Vietnamese durian can compete and expand the market, durian exporters told Thanh Nien (Young People) newspaper.

In the last three months of 2022, Vietnam shipped a total of 40,800 tonnes of durian to China and generated a revenue of 188 million USD.

The success of Vietnamese durian in the world’s second-largest economy is attributed to the fact that the market was previously dominated by Thai durian, with high prices and short harvest times.

Vietnamese durian has been able to address such drawbacks with longer harvest times, more affordable prices, short transport distances, and a particularly delicious taste.

Nguyen said that with such advantages, durian exports are likely to hit 1 billion USD this year – the first year the fruit enters the Chinese market via the official channel.

Meanwhile, authorities in Vietnam and China are constructively negotiating for Vietnamese coconut to enter China, also via official channels.

According to the Ministry of Industry and Trade, Vietnam has about 188,000 ha of coconut with a production of 1.9 million tonnes last year. Coconut and coconut related products brought home over 900 USD last year.

It’s promising that the coconut industry can join the “one-million-USD” club soon, especially when the fruit can be exported to China via the official channel, Nguyen said.

The production of fresh coconut, also known as “tourism coconut”, is increasing in the last few years thanks to new varieties with higher productivity, while the demand for processed (dried) coconut is also increasing in the world.

Nguyen Van Thu, chairman of GC Food Joint Stock Company, said that the company is planning to double its production of coconut jelly for export in the next two years.

Thu said that as consumers increasingly prefer natural healthy products, coconut is more and more welcomed, enjoying a high potential to grow in the coming time./.