Longan saw the second-largest export growth for a fruit last year, after durian. China, Australia, Thailand, and Japan are the major importers.

According to the Vietnam Fruit and Vegetable Association, China is the largest consumer of Vietnamese longans, and with improved export standards, Vietnam could narrow the gap between it and Thailand as the top supplier of longans to the market of more than 1.4 billion people.

Currently, longan is among the top five fruit trees with the largest growing area in Vietnam with more than 80,000 hectares and an average output of about 600,000 tonnes annually.

The export price of Vietnamese longans remained stable last year with the current price of Ido longan, a longan variety from Thailand grown in Vietnam, standing at between $0.67 and $0.76 per kg. At this price, farmers can earn a profit of between $337 and $632 per 1,000 square metres.

Another renowned Vietnamese fruit, durian, increased in price by 20 per cent in the first months of 2024 compared to the end of 2023.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) predicts that the prices of some agricultural products and fruits will change a lot this year. In January, coffee prices increased by between 4-9 per cent, rice prices by over 6 per cent, and mango prices by 8 per cent.

The MARD has set a growth target between 3.2 and 4 per cent for this year, with total export turnover of some $54-$55 billion.