Insiders optimistic about durian export to China

China imports more than 1.4 million tonnes of durian each year. To meet the big demand, the country started piloting durian cultivation since the 1950s, but it was not until 2019 that large-scale farming was implemented in its island province of Hainan, the Thanh nien (Young people) newspaper reported.

Nguyen Van Muoi, a representative of the Vietnam Gardening Association in the southern region, said though the durian farming area and productivity in China are increasing, they are not large enough to substantially affect other countries’ exports, including Vietnam’s.

Even the combined volume from Thailand, Vietnam, and Malaysia is also not enough to meet China’s annual demand of nearly 1.5 million tonnes, he opined.

The Vietnam Fruit and Vegetable Association (VINAFRUIT) said Vietnam harvests durian all year round, which is a competitive edge for the country’s businesses. After southeastern provinces, localities in the Central Highlands will enter the main harvest season in August.

This year, durian prices are likely to surge twice or thrice compared to current prices as traders may rush to purchase the fruit for export, the association predicted.

Expressing optimism, VINAFRUIT General Secretary Dang Phuc Nguyen said the favourable geographical location enables Vietnam to harvest durian all year round, so China’s development of domestic cultivation hasn’t caused any considerable concerns yet.

Besides, he went on, Thailand, the world’s top durian producer, is also feeling the competition pressure from Vietnam in the Chinese market, so it is moving to explore new markets.

VINAFRUIT said a protocol on the official export of frozen durian to China is being promoted and likely to be announced soon.

China spends about US$1 billion on importing frozen durian every year. If Vietnam can export this type of product via the official channel to the neighbouring market and hold a 30% market share, it can earn some US$300 - 500 million in revenue, equivalent to about 10% of this year’s estimated durian export turnover, according to the association.

Agricultural experts perceived that quality is the first issue needing attention to sustain markets and enhance competitiveness while there haven’t been any worrying sale problems.

The emergence of durian has also led to rising prices of other farm produce like coffee and peppercorn.

The Department of Crop Production under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development explained that profit from durian is still highest among all crops at present. Therefore, when farmers switch to cultivating durian, coffee and peppercorn output will decrease, thus fueling prices and further benefiting farmers.