Durian
Since its initial export of $29.2 million in 2016, Vietnam’s durian exports skyrocketed to $2.3 billion in 2023, showcasing the persistent efforts of both Vietnamese farmers and the government in improving product quality and securing trade agreements. By 2024, Vietnam’s durian cultivation is set to expand to about 150,000 hectares, yielding 1.5 million tons. Profit per hectare often exceeds billions of dong. The primary cultivation regions include the Central Highlands (40.4%), Mekong Delta (34.6%), Southeast region (19.4%), and South Central Coast (5.6%).
High prices and growing export demand have fueled the rapid expansion of durian cultivation, especially in the Central Highlands, where the planting area has increased 2.5 times from 2021 to 2023. Newly planted durian trees are primarily grown in specialized gardens, shifting away from the intercropping with coffee that was common in the past.
In Q1 2024, durian became Vietnam’s top fruit export, reaching a turnover of $254 million—a 66% rise from the same period in 2023. China accounts for 98% of Vietnam’s total durian exports. Data from the Chinese Customs Authority shows that China imported 53,110 tons of fresh durian in the first two months of 2024, with Vietnam surpassing Thailand as the leading exporter by shipping 32,750 tons worth $161 million—a 2.4 times increase compared to the previous year. Vietnam’s market share in China grew from 32% in 2023 to 57% in early 2024. Chinese consumers spent $6.7 billion on imported fresh durians last year, making it China’s largest fresh fruit import by value, overtaking cherries.
Vietnamese durian retains a strong competitive advantage in China due to its large production and year-round availability, which avoids competition with Thailand’s peak durian season. Additionally, fast shipping and competitive pricing have contributed significantly to Vietnam’s rapid growth in this market.
To meet the stringent export standards in markets like the EU and the U.S., Vietnamese companies are investing in drying technology to achieve a 35% dry matter content in durian. This improvement boosts quality, enhances market value, and extends shelf life up to 30 days. However, despite these advancements, most businesses still rely on manual packaging, achieving only 28% dry matter content and a shorter preservation time of 12-13 days.
Dragon Fruit
In Q1 2024, Vietnam’s dragon fruit cultivation covered about 55,000 hectares, producing over 1.2 million tons. The primary growing regions are Binh Thuan (62.5%), Long An (18.7%), and Tien Giang (17%). Binh Thuan mainly produces white-fleshed dragon fruit, while red-fleshed varieties are prevalent in Long An, Tien Giang, and Dong Nai.
Binh Thuan alone accounts for 27,000 hectares, with 40% adhering to VietGAP standards and 355 hectares meeting GlobalGAP standards. The adoption of the lantern technique has enabled year-round harvests, with peak season from April to September and off-season from October to March. This year-round availability gives Vietnam a competitive advantage in export markets.
Vietnam’s dragon fruit export value rose from $57.15 million in 2010 to over $1.3 billion by 2018, remaining above $600 million in recent years. Until 2023, dragon fruit was Vietnam’s top fruit export before being surpassed by durian. China remains the largest market (92% of exports), followed by Singapore, Hong Kong, and Indonesia. In the EU, export value is modest at $9-12 million, with the Netherlands (75%) as the main importer. Thanks to the 0% tax from the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EUVFTA), Vietnam is poised to expand its market share in the EU.
Understand more about the Vietnam dragon fruit export here: Vietnam Dragon Fruit: Gradually Regaining Global Leadership
Mango
Mangoes play a vital role in Vietnam’s agriculture, especially in regions like Dong Nai, Son La, Dong Thap, and An Giang. As per the Department of Crop Production, Vietnam cultivates mangoes across more than 115,000 hectares, producing nearly 969,000 tons annually. About half of this area is in the Mekong Delta, with nearly 2,000 hectares meeting VietGAP and GlobalGAP standards, representing 4% of the total mango-growing region.
China is Vietnam’s largest mango export market, accounting for 84% of the total export value, or around $152 million USD. Other key markets include Russia, the US, South Korea, the EU, Australia, and Japan. Since 2019, the US has been importing both frozen and fresh mangoes from Vietnam. In 2023, the US imported 643 tons of frozen mangoes worth $988,000 and 500 tons of fresh mangoes valued at $1.4 million. The main exported varieties are green-skinned mango, Hoa Loc mango, and yellow-skinned mango.
Despite the recognized quality of Vietnamese mangoes, their market share in the US remains small, with total US mango imports reaching 554,000 tons. In comparison, Thailand exports 19,000 tons to the US, ten times more than Vietnam, and the Philippines exports 2,600 tons, 40% higher than Vietnam. This gap highlights the untapped potential for Vietnamese mangoes in the US market.
One of the major challenges is the lengthy sea transport, taking 30-35 days, which, coupled with inadequate processing and packaging, affects the quality of mangoes. While some businesses are working to address these issues, significant improvement will require more investment and support from the government and large corporations.
Despite these challenges, Vietnam’s mango exports to the US are showing promising growth. In 2023, Vietnam experienced a 111% increase in both output and value, marking the highest growth among mango-exporting countries to the US. If this trend continues, Vietnamese mangoes could surpass those from the Philippines in the US market.
Vegetables
For years, Vietnam’s agricultural exports, particularly vegetables, tubers, and fruits, have been a significant highlight, though vegetables still contribute modestly compared to total agricultural exports. Thanks to favourable weather, Vietnam can cultivate vegetables year-round. Regions like Da Lat (Lam Dong), Moc Chau (Son La), Sa Pa (Lao Cai), and the Northwest Mountains offer ideal conditions for growing temperate vegetables and flowers. In the North, the winter crop season supports low-cost cultivation of sub-temperate vegetables, tubers, and fruits, along with tropical vegetables such as water spinach, mustard greens, Chinese cabbage, and bok choy. Expanding production could position Vietnam as a leading “vegetable garden” and culinary hub globally.
By 2023, Vietnam’s vegetable cultivation area reached 995,000 hectares, spread across seven regions: Red River Delta, Northern Midlands and Mountains, North Central, South Central Coast, Central Highlands, Southeast, and Mekong Delta. The Red River Delta, the largest production region, holds nearly 25% of the total area and contributes almost 30% to the output. However, only 15% of the total cultivation area meets safety standards.
Carrots are a major export, with 65,000 tons exported during the 2022-2023 winter-spring crop, accounting for 80% of the total production. Besides established markets like Korea, Japan, Singapore, Malaysia, and the Middle East, Vietnamese carrots are expanding to new markets such as the US, France, and European and Muslim countries.
Despite this progress, Vietnam’s vegetable exports represent only 2-3% of global fruit and vegetable exports, signalling significant growth potential. With 16 of 19 free trade agreements in effect, Vietnamese agricultural enterprises are increasingly aligning with VIETGAP/GLOBALGAP standards, positioning themselves to meet the EU’s stringent Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) and Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) measures. This presents a great opportunity for countries facing adverse climatic conditions and high agricultural costs.
In 2021, Vietnam’s vegetable exports totalled $250 million, with chilli contributing $63 million, sweet potatoes $37 million, cauliflower $17 million, and a combined $16 million from corn and other vegetables. By 2023, the export value increased to $279 million, and by the end of 2024, vegetables are projected to account for 7.13% of total agricultural exports. High-potential export vegetables include tomatoes, cucumbers, beans, corn, carrots, cabbage, radishes, asparagus, onions, garlic, potatoes, zucchini, and mushrooms.
Mr. Dang Phuc Nguyen, General Secretary of the Vietnam Fruit and Vegetable Association, stressed the importance of complying with the EU’s stringent quality and safety standards, requiring products to be free of pesticide residues before export. To meet these demands, Vietnamese exporters must obtain GlobalGAP certification and rigorously control pesticide and plant protection residues. Overcoming these technical barriers is crucial to ensuring smooth market access and avoiding rejection or return of goods.
Conclusion
Despite these achievements, Vietnam’s fruit and vegetable export industry still faces significant challenges in preservation, transportation, and meeting international standards. Strong investments in processing technology, improving product quality, and optimizing logistics will be key to maintaining and expanding market share in demanding markets like the EU and the United States. The outlook for Vietnam’s fruit and vegetable sector is highly promising, especially as free trade agreements continue to open up more opportunities for domestic businesses.
Read more: Vietnam’s fruit and vegetable exports: Key markets, challenges, and opportunities
