{
  "id": 4665021,
  "title": "Vietnam coffee farmers ride China's durian wave",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/31/vietnam-coffee-farmers-ride-chinas-durian-wave",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-08-31T15:18:01.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "New Straits Times",
    "slug": "new-straits-times",
    "url": "https://www.nst.com.my/opinion/columnists/2026/08/1523007/vietnam-coffee-farmers-ride-chinas-durian-wave"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Vietnam's Central Highlands, known for its robusta coffee production, is witnessing a shift as coffee farmers turn to durian cultivation to capitalize on China's growing demand. Pham Xuan Lan, a farmer, asserts that durian is the more lucrative crop, stating, \"You can live okay with coffee, but it's durian that makes you rich.\" The Central Highlands' tropical climate and fertile basalt soil have led to a surge in durian farming, with the area dedicated to the crop increasing fivefold to 200,000 hectares over the past decade. Vietnam recently became the world's biggest supplier of durian by volume, surpassing Thailand's nearly two-decade-long dominance. Early adopter Pham Xuan Lan diversified his crops two decades ago and now grows 400 durian trees, producing 60 tonnes of the fragrant fruit annually. The fruit is shipped frozen to China, where it commands premium prices. Dak Lak province, where Lan is based, is packed with durian trucks during harvest season, and a recent durian festival featured 525 vehicles forming a record-breaking parade. The boom is driven by Chinese demand, which has surged due to factors like increased supply and social media popularity. Chinese users on Douyin (China's TikTok) have created numerous videos showcasing the fruit's sweet taste, prompting many to purchase it. Chinese imports of fresh durian reached nearly US$7.5 billion in 2022, a 12-fold increase since 2015. Vietnam is expected to generate US$4 billion from durian exports this year, with nearly 90% of the sales going to China. However, there are concerns about the overreliance on China and the potential for oversupply as more farmers join the industry.",
  "summary": "VIETNAM’S Central Highlands produces around one sixth of the world’s coffee, but farmers are switching their traditional crop for durian to cash in on surging Chinese demand for the pungent “king of fruits”.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}