Durian exports expected to earn 3.2 billion USD this year
According to a report by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, by the end of September this year, our country's durian output had reached 984,800 tons, a sharp increase of 16.6% over the same period last year.
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| Frozen durian – new driving force for fruit exports |
Meanwhile, October is the harvest season for this “king fruit” in large-scale growing areas such as Gia Lai and Lam Dong. Off-season durian in the western provinces will also be harvested in the last months of this year. It is estimated that our country’s durian output could reach over 1.2 million tons this year.
Accordingly, in addition to serving domestic consumption, a large amount of durian is also exported to China, Thailand and other markets. Preliminary statistics from the Vietnam Fruit and Vegetable Association show that in the past 9 months, the export turnover of durian from our country is estimated at 2.5 billion USD - a historical record. Of which, exports to the Chinese market alone are estimated at about 2.3 billion USD.
The Vietnam Fruit and Vegetable Association expects that by the end of October, durian export turnover will bring in over 3 billion USD. Of the total turnover of the entire fruit and vegetable industry by the end of this year, it is expected to bring in 6.4 billion USD; durian alone accounts for 50%, durian export turnover for the whole year of 2024 is expected to be 3.2 billion USD.
Frozen durian – new driving force for fruit exports
Along with fresh durian, on August 19, 2024, the Protocol on the export of frozen durian signed between Vietnam and China opened a new door for Vietnamese durian.
According to the Plant Protection Department (Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development), when negotiations end, importing countries will have requirements and regulations that may be very different from the way farmers and businesses still produce for domestic consumption.
China classifies frozen durian and fresh durian into two different product groups. Fresh durian is managed in the same way as fresh fruit, implementing the management of growing area codes, packing facilities and following the Fresh Durian Export Protocol. Therefore, China is interested in both monitoring pests from growing areas to technical measures to eliminate pests in packing facilities.
Frozen durian is considered food, and the importing country has a different management method, which is according to the regulations of Order 248 on the Regulations on the Management of Registration of Foreign Imported Food Production Enterprises and Order 249 on Measures for the Management of Import and Export Food Safety of the China Customs Administration, and the registration of packaging facilities and food production facilities abroad. This is a completely different form of management compared to the management of fresh durian.
In order for frozen durian to be exported to the Chinese market, Mr. Nguyen Quang Hieu - Deputy Director of the Plant Protection Department noted that, according to general regulations, frozen durian must be frozen at -35 degrees Celsius for a minimum of 1 hour and then must be kept cold during the entire storage, transportation and export process at -18 degrees Celsius. These are technical conditions that Vietnamese enterprises can completely achieve and are feasible; at the same time, encourage units to invest in new technology for better product quality.
In 2023, Vietnam's durian exports grew impressively when it entered the export market (in 2022); in which, fresh durian contributed 40% of the export value of the entire fresh fruit and vegetable industry. In 2024, the agricultural sector believes that fresh durian exports will exceed 3 billion USD.
However, fresh fruit products always have products that do not meet the standards for fresh export. Therefore, they must be peeled or frozen for frozen export or other processed forms. Frozen durian will be a very important auxiliary product in Vietnam's durian industry. Therefore, Vietnam has negotiated to export frozen durian to China.
Regarding the advantages of frozen durian, Mr. Nguyen Quang Hieu said that fresh durian is only 30% flesh, 70% seeds, the shell must be removed, causing environmental pollution. Consumers in China will soon switch to frozen products, because it is more suitable. Frozen durian has a long shelf life, can be used immediately or used as an ingredient for other products.
According to Mr. Nguyen Quang Hieu, frozen durian exports are a new driving force for fruit exports in the coming time. To maintain the development of the frozen fruit import market, packaging facilities, growing areas, and businesses need to clearly understand and comply with the regulations of the importing country. Importing countries also have separate regulations for different products.
“Non-compliance with regulations due to not fully understanding the regulations may result in importing countries sending non-compliance notices. This will then lead to the application of higher measures, which will directly affect the production costs of enterprises. In case of violations due to non-compliance with regulations, enterprises, growing areas, and packaging facilities will be subject to additional measures. This will affect the competitiveness of Vietnamese products,” Mr. Nguyen Quang Hieu emphasized.
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