In the expansive durian orchards of Son Trung, Khanh Son, Khanh Hoa, Nguyen Ngoc Thao proudly stands among trees laden with ripe fruit, ready for harvest. "This year, durians are fetching a great price," he says.

His 14-hectare durian orchard is expected to yield over 200 tons this season, with prices soaring to 82,000 VND per kilogram.

With estimated revenue of around 16 billion VND, Thao expects to pocket a substantial profit of approximately 13.5 billion VND after expenses. This marks the most successful year for Thao, who has dedicated more than a decade to cultivating durians in Khanh Son.

Similarly, in Son Lam, Khanh Son, Mai Van Khang is also celebrating a bumper durian harvest. His 10-hectare orchard is expected to produce around 100 tons this year, and with current market prices, Khang estimates a profit of 8 billion VND.

Further north, in Chieng Khuong, Song Ma, Son La, Bui Van Quang reflects on the challenges of the season. While prolonged heatwaves have reduced the yield of his longan orchard to about 60-70 tons, the higher market price of 40,000-45,000 VND per kilogram has compensated for the lower output, resulting in an estimated revenue of 2.4-2.8 billion VND.

In Bac Giang, the lychee harvest has also concluded with remarkable success. Although total production reached only 86,000 tons - just 42.5% of last year’s yield - favorable market conditions allow farmers to sell their lychees for 55,000-110,000 VND per kilogram, three to four times higher than the previous season.

The lychee harvest generated a record-breaking revenue of 4,814 trillion VND, an increase of 156 billion VND compared to 2023.

According to Nguyen Dinh Tung, CEO of Vina T&T Group, the company has seen a 26% growth in exports to the U.S. market as of July 2024. The company is also experiencing strong demand in China, where it exports 10-15 containers of fresh durian each month, with each container holding up to 18 tons.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) recently reported that in August alone, Vietnam’s fruit and vegetable exports generated 750 million USD, a 61.6% increase compared to the same period last year.

This makes August the second-highest month for export revenue in 2024, following April's record of 768.2 million USD.

Cumulatively, the first eight months of 2024 saw export revenues of 4.63 billion USD, a 30.6% increase over the same period in 2023. With this robust growth, Vietnam's fruit and vegetable sector is targeting an export revenue milestone of 7 billion USD by the end of the year.

This optimism is fueled by the upcoming high harvest season for high-value crops like durian and the continued expansion of export markets.

In early August, the MARD announced that Vietnamese pomelos have been granted access to the South Korean market, joining dragon fruit and mango as the third fresh fruit allowed into this lucrative market.

Additionally, the recent signing of a protocol for the export of frozen durian and fresh coconut to China is expected to further boost export revenues.

MARD officials anticipate that fresh coconut exports alone could increase by 200-300 million USD in 2024, with even greater growth in the coming years.

The frozen durian export market is also expected to reach 400-500 million USD this year, the first year after the protocol’s signing.

With each container of frozen durian valued at 5-6 billion VND, this sector offers significant advantages, including lower transportation costs and simplified quarantine procedures compared to fresh fruit exports.

Looking ahead, negotiations are ongoing to open the Chinese market to other Vietnamese fruits, including pomelo, avocado, custard apple, and rose apple - all of which are key agricultural products with high production capacity.

On August 28, MARD announced further progress in talks with U.S. agricultural authorities. During a visit to the U.S., Deputy Minister Hoang Trung reached an agreement with U.S. officials to allow the export of Vietnamese passion fruit to the American market.

Discussions are also underway to open the U.S. market to other Vietnamese fruits, including seedless lemons, guavas, and jackfruit.

With Vietnam's current fruit and vegetable production levels, the agricultural sector aims to reach an export revenue milestone of 10 billion USD in the near future.

However, achieving this goal will require a focus on increasing the value of exports, particularly through advanced processing techniques that meet modern consumer demands.

Tam An