'Vietnam's Fruit King' Earns Over $1 Billion in Just 2 Months

With an area of ​​approximately 151,000 hectares, durian is grown in many provinces and cities across Vietnam. This year, the estimated durian production is about 1.5 million tons.

This fruit in our country is harvested year-round to meet domestic consumption and export needs. However, the peak harvest season is from April to September each year. This period marks the beginning of the main harvest season, leading to a significant increase in durian exports.

At Kim Thanh International Road Border Gate No. 2 ( Lao Cai ), out of an average of 100 trucks of fresh fruit exported daily, more than 90 trucks are carrying durian.

Currently, Monthong durian is priced at around 90,000 VND/kg, and Ri6 durian at around 60,000 VND/kg, meaning each export shipment is worth between 1.1 and 1.5 billion VND. Earlier this year, during the off-season, durian prices reached 200,000 VND/kg, with the export value of each shipment reaching 3.5 billion VND.

Durian is in its peak harvest season, and export revenue has increased sharply. Photo: Tam An

Mr. Dang Phuc Nguyen, General Secretary of the Vietnam Fruit and Vegetable Association, said that durian exports are increasing very strongly. In May, the export value of this fruit reached 450 million USD, an increase of 107% compared to the previous month and a 34% increase compared to the same month last year.

In June 2024, durian exports were estimated at $600 million. This means that in just two months, Vietnam earned $1.05 billion from durian exports.

According to statistics from the Vietnam Fruit and Vegetable Association, in the first six months of this year, durian export turnover reached 1.5 billion USD. Accordingly, durian continues to lead in export value among Vietnam's key fruit and vegetable exports. Currently, durian export turnover is nearly four times higher than that of dragon fruit – a fruit that previously held the top position in the fruit and vegetable export group.

According to Mr. Nguyen, China continues to increase its purchases of Vietnamese durian. However, he warned that businesses need to be more cautious about the planting area codes and the quality of durian exported to this massive market.

The Plant Protection Department (Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development) also advises localities and businesses to closely monitor planting area codes and packaging facility codes to avoid purchasing goods from unlicensed sources, which could affect the export activities of legitimate businesses.

According to calculations, with Vietnam's durian production, exports of this fruit will reach 3 billion USD this year. If a protocol for the export of frozen durian is signed, export revenue could reach approximately 3.5 billion USD.

Some farmers in the Mekong Delta reported that durian yields this year have decreased compared to last year, averaging only about 15 tons per hectare. However, durian prices are quite high, ranging from 60,000 to 100,000 VND per kilogram. Therefore, farmers are still making a profit of approximately 700 million to 1 billion VND per hectare, depending on yield and selling price, after deducting production costs.

Vietnamnet.vn

Source: https://vietnamnet.vn/vua-trai-cay-viet-thu-ve-hon-1-ty-usd-chi-trong-2-thang-2297705.html