Illustrative photo.
According to the Vietnam Fruit and Vegetable Association (Vinafruit), the surge makes coconut the top imported fruit, while overall fruit and vegetable imports rose just 18 percent to USD 1.45 billion.
Vinafruit’s secretary general Dang Phuc Nguyen said demand for imports has soared as coconut exports grow rapidly, while domestic output remains limited and prices stay high. “Markets such as China, the US and the Middle East are ramping up purchases from Vietnam, leaving less supply for domestic processing,” he noted.
The momentum was further fueled by the US opening its market to fresh Vietnamese coconuts in 2023 and China doing so in August 2024. In the first seven months of this year, coconut exports reached USD 306.2 million, including USD 102.8 million from fresh coconuts, up 14.9 percent, and USD 203.4 million from processed coconuts, up 56.8 percent.
Rising export demand and limited local supply have forced processors to import coconuts, mainly from Indonesia. Prices at the farm gate in Vietnam averaged VND 18,500–19,000 per nut (approximately USD 0.73–0.75) in the first half of 2025, the highest on record, due to drought and salinity in the Mekong Delta and disease outbreaks in central provinces.
High prices have encouraged farmers to expand cultivation. Vietnam now has over 200,000 hectares of coconut farms, producing about 2 million tonnes annually. The number of processing factories has risen sharply, from eight in 2015 to 45 in 2024, with major players including Betrimex, Luong Quoi and Beinco. However, plantation area and yields have not kept pace, creating fierce competition for raw materials.
The Vietnam Coconut Association has advised farmers to select varieties suited for export demand to avoid mismatches in supply and potential market risks.
