Vietnamese coffee farmers ride China's durian wave
Planted durian area has surged more than fivefold to 200,000 hectares as farmers chase higher profits and warn of oversupply risks, the agriculture ministry said.
- Vietnam's Central Highlands farmers are shifting from traditional coffee to durian cultivation to capture surging Chinese demand for the 'king of fruits,' with exports expected to reach $4 billion this year.
- Following a 2022 trade protocol, Vietnam became China's largest durian supplier by volume last year, capitalizing on a market that imported nearly $7.5 billion worth of the fruit in 2025.
- Pham Xuan Lan, a Dak Lak farmer with 400 trees, expects to earn $76,000 this year versus $10,000 from coffee alone. "With durian, I bought a car, houses for my children and built a villa for my family," Lan said.
- Vietnam's government warned in early August of "risks of oversupply and loss of quality control as the planted area is increasing rapidly." Some farmers, including 42-year-old Hung, have failed after switching due to strict cultivation requirements.
- Beijing is attempting to boost homegrown production with over 3,000 hectares in Hainan, though durian expert Feng Xuejie at the Hainan Academy of Agricultural Sciences acknowledged that "our Hainan durians will always be just a supplement to Southeast Asian durians.
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Vietnam’s coffee farmers are betting on durian to strike it rich in China
Vietnamese farmers are shifting from coffee cultivation to durian farming. This change is driven by immense Chinese demand for the pungent fruit. Vietnam has become China's largest durian supplier, surpassing Thailand's long-held dominance. Durian exports are projected to reach four billion dollars this year. However, concerns about oversupply and quality control are emerging.
The Straits Times
Free Malaysia Today NewsVietnamese coffee farmers ride China’s durian wave
Vietnam in 2025 became China's biggest durian supplier by volume. Read more at straitstimes.com.
Vietnamese coffee farmers ride China's durian wave
Vietnam's Central Highlands produces around one sixth of the world's coffee, but farmers are switching their traditional crop for durian to cash in on surging Chinese demand for the pungent "king of fruits".
The farmers in central Vietnam turn to the durian to take advantage of the huge Chinese demand. The fruit with the powerful smell brings back a lot of... Read more The durian hunts coffee from the Vietnamese highlands appeared first on Le Singulier.
"You can live properly with coffee, but it's the durian that makes you rich," says Pham Xuan Lan, visiting his farm at the AFP.The tropical climate and the basaltic soil of the high plateaus favour the cultivation of the robusta, making it a...
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