Vietnamese farmers swap coffee with durian to meet China demand

Vietnam's Central Highlands, known for producing around one-sixth of the world's coffee, is now seeing farmers shift from the traditional crop to durian due to surging Chinese demand for the pungent fruit. Pham Xuan Lan, a local farmer, boasts 400 durian trees on his farm, producing 60 tonnes of the fruit annually. He believes durian makes him rich, contrasting his coffee income of $10,000 to $76,000 from durian.

The Central Highlands, with its tropical climate and rich soil, has seen a fivefold increase in durian cultivation over the past decade. Vietnam officially joined China's durian market in 2022 and became its biggest supplier by volume last year, overtaking Thailand's near two-decade dominance. The boom is driven by demand from China, fueled by expanding supply and growing popularity on social media.

Chinese netizens have watched billions of views on videos of people cracking durian with their bare hands. The fruit's affordability and increased competition with Thailand have also contributed to its popularity. Despite the potential for high profits, there are concerns about the reliance on China and the risks of oversupply as more farmers jump on the durian bandwagon. Vietnam's government has warned of these risks, particularly in the Central Highlands.