Vietnam has surpassed Thailand as the top durian exporter to China, shipping 32,750 tons in the first two months of 2024.
This accounted for 57% of China’s imports, up from 32% last year, according to Vietnam Customs.
Vietnam’s export of the fruit to China rose by 2.4 times year-on-year.
Thailand saw its exports plunge by half to 19,000 tons.
At US$4,916 per container, Vietnam’s export price was almost 20% lower than Thailand’s.
Dang Phuc Nguyen, general secretary of the Vietnam Fruits & Vegetables Association, said Vietnam’s weather allows durian to be grown all year round.
It shares a border with China, which offers it an advantage in transportation.
Farmers have been hiking durian prices in recent months thanks to high demand from China.
In March the prices of the highest quality Monthong variety in the Mekong Delta were up 15% from a year earlier to VND218,000-230,000 ($8.7-9.2) per kilogram.
Vietnam’s durian exports are expected to top $3.5 billion this year, up 66% from last year.