"5 Times Higher Income"... 'This Fruit' That Made Vietnamese Coffee Trees Be Uprooted

High Income from Exports to China... Cultivating Durian Instead of Coffee
Vietnam Government Warns of "Single Market Risk"

Recently, as the tropical fruit durian has gained explosive popularity in China, farmers in the Central Highlands of Vietnam, who used to cultivate coffee, are uprooting their coffee trees one after another and starting to grow durian. In response, the Vietnamese government has warned of the risk that the regional economy could collapse instantly if the export route to China is blocked.

According to foreign media reports on the 11th (local time), the Central Highlands of Vietnam, which produced Robusta coffee and exported it worldwide, is rapidly transforming into a durian-producing area. Last year, when the Chinese government approved large-scale durian exports from Vietnam, farmers eager to increase their income began cultivating durian instead of coffee.

Tropical fruit Durian
Photo by Yonhap News

26-year-old farmer Be Duc Huynh, who removed all his coffee trees, said, "Durian brings five times more income than coffee for the same cultivation area." He harvested 1 ton of durian last year and 4 tons this year, exporting all of it to China.

China imported over 800,000 tons of durian from Southeast Asia last year. In particular, 90% of Vietnam's durian exports were destined for China. According to data compiled by global data firm CEIC, about 60% of Vietnam's fruit and vegetable exports in recent months have gone to China. Ten years ago, China's share was about one-third, but it has nearly doubled now. Besides durian, dragon fruit, bananas, mangoes, and jackfruit are among the fruits China imports heavily from Vietnam.

Durian is a fruit with a strong odor that divides opinions. However, due to its sweet and creamy texture, it is called the "king of tropical fruits." According to the multinational fruit distribution company Dole Food, China is the third-largest durian consumer after Indonesia and Malaysia.

Durian farmers are not overly concerned about relying solely on the Chinese market, but the government has expressed concerns.

Coffee tree fruit. The photo is not related to the specific content of the article. [Image source=Pixabay]

The Vietnamese Ministry of Agriculture pointed out earlier this year that many farmers are abandoning traditional crops like coffee and rice and planting durian on land unsuitable for durian cultivation. State media criticized this as "reckless durian farming," and agricultural experts have warned that efforts should be made to find export markets other than China while increasing domestic consumption of durian. However, this issue is not easy to resolve. There are only a few countries that import durian, and due to its high price, domestic consumers cannot afford to consume durian.

Experts also note that when an opportunity opens to export to a large market like China, the entire agricultural belt often goes "all in," which can make the regional economy vulnerable.

In recent years, China has restricted imports of Norwegian salmon, Taiwanese pineapples, Philippine bananas, and Australian lobsters. Usually, this is due to quality issues such as contamination or pests, but sometimes political disputes are the cause. In 2020, after Australia called for an independent investigation into the origin of COVID-19, China imposed high anti-dumping tariffs on Australian wine. In 2012, when disputes arose among countries in the South China Sea, China blocked imports of Philippine bananas, citing the discovery of scale insects.

Yoon Soon, head of the China program at the U.S. think tank Stimson Center, said, "China can use the scale of its economy to punish exporting countries through trade at any time," adding, "Selling to China is an opportunity but also a risk."