Exports to the U.S. rose 529% to $3.55 million in January while shipments to South Korea and Hong Kong increased by 498% and 340%.

Durians harvested in the Mekong Delta. Photo by VnExpress/Hoang Nam

Dang Phuc Nguyen, general secretary of the Vietnam Fruit and Vegetable Association, said farmers and businesses have adapted to China’s auramine O and cadmium requirements.

Inspection procedures have also become more streamlined while the number of approved growing areas and packing facilities has doubled from a year earlier, he added.

Vietnam grows off-season durian while its main export rival, Thailand, is waiting for its main harvest in late May.

But yields in Vietnam’s Mekong Delta, where the fruit is being harvested off-season, are down this year, and, consequently, prices there have risen and are expected to stay elevated in the coming months.

Ri6 durians are selling for VND100,000-150,000 (US$3.81-5.72) per kilogram while locally grown Thai cultivars cost VND160,000-170,000.