Dak Lak, Vietnam’s largest durian-producing province, is expected to harvest more than 500,000 tonnes this year, up around 20% from 2025 thanks to expanding cultivation areas and improved yields.
The Dak Lak Durian Association said the Central Highlands harvest season does not overlap with Thailand’s production cycle and has been less affected by heavy metal concerns, giving its durian a competitive edge.
Vietnamese durians are expected to gain entry to India this July, opening a major new avenue for market diversification.
The Department of Plant Production and Protection said Vietnam and India are completing the final technical procedures required for market access. If all goes according to plan, Vietnam will become the first country to export durian to the Indian market.
Le Anh Trung, the Dak Lak association’s chairman, said durian remains a relatively new product for Indian consumers. While the market is highly segmented, India has a large and growing middle- and upper-income population to support the demand for premium fruit imports.
Dang Phuc Nguyen, general secretary of the Vietnam Fruit and Vegetables Association, sees India as a long-term strategic market.
In the near term, products such as frozen and dried durian are likely to be better suited to India than fresh whole fruit due to their longer shelf life and easier transportation, he said.
The outlook is reinforced by the success of Vietnamese dragon fruit in India. In 2025, dragon fruit exports to the country reached US$42 million, up 6.4% year-on-year, making it one of the fruit’s largest export markets besides China.
A durian harvested at an orchard in the Mekong Delta in February 2026. Photo by Manh Khuong |
Though domestic durian prices declined sharply early this year, exports remained robust. Shipments reached $293 million iIn the first four months, a 60% year-on-year increase.
China remained the dominant market, accounting for $256 million, up 143%. Exports to the U.S. rose 12% to nearly $7 million while shipments to South Korea surged 201% to $1 million.
Nguyen noted that Vietnam currently exports only frozen durian to South Korea. However, demand has been rising rapidly, supported by the growing Vietnamese community there and by producers’ efforts to meet the market’s stringent food safety requirements.
He said growth in markets such as South Korea, the U.S., Japan, Australia and Europe represents an important foundation for long-term expansion.
Trung, meanwhile, stressed that China will remain the industry’s key market in the foreseeable future.
To maintain market share, he said, the sector must strengthen traceability systems covering the entire supply chain, from cultivation and harvesting to logistics and distribution, while also expanding into promising new destinations such as India.
He also called for stronger government support to promote sustainable durian-growing areas and encourage investment in deep processing, helping increase value-added production and reduce risks associated with price volatility and market fluctuations.
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