Fruit

In Dak Lak province in Vietnam's Central Highlands, a "fruit export-processing cluster (industrial park)" that brings fruit grading, refrigeration, inspection, and logistics together in one place has gotten under way. Launched on June 20, 2026, this project sees this region—known for coffee exports—treat fruit, durian in particular, as...

Vietnam's 2026 lychee has a poor early-season harvest, down 35 to 50% year on year. Even so, shipments to Japan, Australia, the UK, and the EU do not stop, with June the shipping peak. For Japanese produce buyers, we examine sourcing design for the short season and sales-floor strategy in a high-price year.

Domestic wholesale prices for Vietnamese durian have turned around late in the harvest. Ri6 Grade A has recovered to 55,000–60,000 dong. We explain the structure of export regulations that move prices, and the sourcing timing that Japanese frozen and processing buyers should read.

In August 2026, Dak Lak Province, Vietnam's largest durian producing area, will hold its first province-level 'Durian Festival'. A procession of about 500 trucks will challenge the Guinness records. We read the region's branding and its shift to processing and tourism as a leading indicator for Japan's durian sourcing.

Vietnamese fruit is hitting rock-bottom prices at the source. Mangoes fetch 6,000 to 10,000 dong at the source — four to five times that at retail. We explain the real conditions of the oversupply brought on by China's Order 280 and the harvest peak, and the implications for Japanese buyers targeting processing ingredients.

Vietnamese durian exports have stalled due to a shortage of inspection labs. With inspection concentrated at 13 accredited facilities, the Ri6 variety dropped 20%. We report the full picture of an abnormal situation in which 80 facilities in Dong Thap province have halted operations and hundreds of containers are stuck.

Mainly in Vietnam's Central Highlands, coffee farmers are rapidly switching to durian. This is because profits of US$69,500 per hectare a year (up to five times that of coffee) can be expected, and the Tien Giang Province Department of Agriculture and Rural Development and Intimex Group have also confirmed '2 billion VND per hectare of durian a year'. According to MARD, durian output reached 984,800 tonnes as of the end of September 2024, and Vietnam's very cropping structure is being rewritten.

Overview: The grapes of Ninh Thuan province are the produce of Vietnam's only commercial grape-growing region and are known as a Vietnamese specialty. Annual production is about 30,000 tonnes, and both table grapes (for fresh eating) and wine grapes are produced. Grape cultivation in a tropical region is rare worldwide...

Overview: Mangosteen is a tropical fruit called the "queen of fruits," and about 50,000 tonnes are produced a year in southern Vietnam. Called "mang cut" in Vietnamese, it has white flesh inside a thick purple rind, with an elegant balance of sweetness and acidity. Mainly for domestic consu...

Overview: Vietnam's banana production is about 2.5 million tonnes a year, making it one of Southeast Asia's major producers. Domestically, besides the Cavendish variety, many native varieties are grown. Mainly for domestic consumption, but exports to China, South Korea, and Japan have been increasing, and commercial large-scale...