Vietnam boosts durian exports to China as Thai shipments fall by half

China imported 202,500 tons of fresh durian for US$1.09 billion, down 32% from a year ago.

Thailand accounted for 121,400 tons worth $717 million.

Its share fell 26.7 percentage points from a year ago to 60%.

Vietnam’s exports nearly doubled to 79,300 tons worth $370 million.

This boosted its market share by 25.9 percentage points to 39.2%.

The Philippines, the other country approved to export fresh durian to China, saw its shipments jump six-fold.

But its share of the China market is minuscule.

Vietnam’s exports of the fruit are burgeoning thanks to its competitive prices. In the first four months its average price was $4,662 per ton as against China’s average import price of $5,395.

But Thai durian prices increased by 14% to above $5,900.

Besides the price advantage, Vietnamese durian is also available year-round, have lower transportation costs and take less time to ship, a prominent durian exporter told VnExpress.

Concurring with this, Dang Phuc Nguyen, general secretary of the Vietnam Fruit and Vegetable Association, said scorching weather in Thailand has caused the skin of the fruit to crack, affecting quality.

"This is an opportunity for Vietnam to dominate the market. Vietnam’s durian exports will see positive growth in May and June."

Vietnam has 150,000 hectares under durian and an expected annual yield of 1.5 million tons.

Farmers in the southeast and Mekong Delta regions are currently harvesting and selling durian at VND40,000-70,000 (US$1.57-2.75) per kilogram.

While these prices are down by half from their highs at the beginning of the year, farmers are still making significant profits.