Durian exports expected to hit $4B this year

The Vietnamese durian industry is set to generate an estimated $4 billion in exports this year, according to Dang Ngoc Diep, the deputy minister of Agriculture and Environment. Durian represents about 40% of the country's total export turnover and is cultivated across approximately 200,000 hectares, yielding around 2.08 million tonnes annually.

In the first eight months of 2022, durian exports reached $1.95 billion, with the majority of sales directed towards China, accounting for $1.85 billion or 95% of the total. To address challenges facing the fruit's exports, the ministry has dispatched working delegations led by deputy ministers to collaborate with localities, particularly high-output growing areas in the Central Highlands, southeastern and southwestern regions, and Dong Nai province, in order to eliminate obstacles hindering sales.

In July, the ministry introduced an origin tracing system through its electronic platform. The United States and China's trade counsellors commended the ministry's efforts to promote Vietnamese agricultural products as reputable brands both domestically and internationally. The ministry has also streamlined the process of issuing growing-area codes, de-centralizing the issuance to ward- and commune-level authorities for increased convenience.

However, the sector still faces limitations, such as rapid growth outpacing the development of value chains, increasingly stringent technical and market requirements, and international competition from countries like Malaysia and Thailand. To tackle these issues, the ministry plans to enhance trade promotion, diversify export markets, standardize quality and food safety, improve research and technology transfer, and bolster logistics and storage infrastructure.

Additionally, the ministry is working to expand export promotion activities in India and reorganize production to develop sustainable raw-material areas.