Massive increase in demand from China has led to a major fall in the volume of coffee grown in Vietnam
The dramatic recent expansion of durian production in Vietnam is apparently pushing up international coffee prices.
As reported by a number of news outlets including the BBC, a significant number of Vietnamese farmers have switched from coffee to durian in order to capitalise on growth in demand for the fruit from China – leaving the global coffee market short.
Asiafruit’s recently published Statistics Handbook shows that Vietnam’s durian exports increased by almost 623 per cent last year to more than 507,000 tonnes.
China imported 1.43m tonnes of the fruit in 2023, up 72.9 per cent year on year, and Vietnam’s share of that market is reckoned to have almost doubled to 57 per cent.
According to a recent report published by Research and Markets, Vietnamese durian output is almost 850,000 tonnes per year.
In 2023, it exported nearly 600,000 tonnes, worth around US$2.1bn and up from US$1.82bn in 2022.
The Vietnam Fruit and Vegetable Association estimates this could rise to US$3.5bn in 2024.
