Tiếng Việt
中文 (中国)Fresh coconut has overtaken dragon fruit to become Vietnam’s second-largest fruit export, posting growth of more than 36.6% in 2025. While the momentum is impressive, weaknesses in growing areas and the coconut value chain remain a major stress test. Without early standardization, this advantage may prove difficult to sustain over the long term.
Fresh coconut surpassing dragon fruit to claim second place in Vietnam’s fruit and vegetable export rankings in 2025 marks a notable shift. With export value reaching approximately USD 534 million and growth of 36.6%, fresh coconut is emerging as a new bright spot in Vietnam’s agricultural exports. Unlike durian, which often rises with market hype, or products tied to short-lived price booms, coconut’s growth has been relatively steady, driven more by structural demand trends than by seasonal volatility.
The biggest boost has come from market access. Official exports of fresh coconut to China since 2024 have fundamentally reshaped the product’s position. China imports around five billion coconuts annually, of which fresh coconuts account for roughly 2.6 billion units. Even capturing a small share of this market is sufficient to generate double-digit growth for Vietnamese coconut exports. Vietnam’s geographic advantage, with land-border connectivity, allows coconuts to reach China faster, fresher, and at more competitive logistics costs compared with Thailand and other suppliers during certain periods.
At the same time, the United States has opened its market to dehusked and peeled coconuts, while the European Union is increasingly favoring products aligned with green and sustainable consumption. As technical barriers rise across global markets, fresh coconut benefits from being a minimally processed product, making it easier to tell a story of natural origin, sustainability, and health. This is an advantage that many other fruits—highly dependent on post-harvest treatments struggle to match.
The global wave of “green and healthy” consumption has become the second major tailwind. Coconut water is widely marketed as a “natural electrolyte,” low in sugar and rich in minerals, fitting well with modern healthy lifestyles. As sugary beverages face increasing pressure from health regulations and excise taxes, coconut water is moving in the opposite direction. Fresh coconut has thus been closely associated with sports, yoga, and clean-eating trends. Its commercial value lies not only in the fruit itself, but also in the green and healthy consumption narrative surrounding it.
Advances in preservation technology have also played a crucial role. Dehusking, weight reduction, and extended shelf life of 45–60 days allow fresh coconuts to travel longer distances and reduce reliance on land transport. Several growing areas in the Mekong Delta have adopted Good Agricultural Practices such as GlobalGAP, making initial progress in meeting requirements for residue limits and traceability. However, the outlook is not entirely positive. According to the Vietnam Coconut Association, the risk of losing competitiveness in the Chinese market is real. Domestic raw material prices have risen sharply, forcing some exporters to import coconuts at times to fulfill overseas contracts. An unstable supply base is gradually eroding Vietnam’s competitive edge.
At the root of the problem lies the lack of standardized growing areas. Vietnam enjoys advantages in original coconut varieties and biodiversity, with around 16 varieties used for fresh consumption. Yet most farmers still plant based on personal preference rather than coordinated planning or standardized seedlings. A single shipment of several containers may contain coconuts of varying sizes, flavors, and quality. In increasingly demanding import markets, this inconsistency poses a significant challenge. Unlike dried coconut, which has developed a relatively complete processing chain, fresh coconut still lacks leading investors capable of integrating the chain from seed selection and cultivation techniques to procurement and export. The absence of anchor enterprises makes the value chain fragile and fragmented, reducing the sector’s attractiveness and stability.
Retail prices further expose the imbalance. According to the Vietnam Coconut Association, a Vietnamese coconut sells for around VND 140,000 in the United States, nearly VND 190,000 in Europe, and about VND 70,000 in Beijing figures that contrast sharply with farm-gate prices. The gap does not reflect superior water quality, but rather differences in transparency. Import markets increasingly require planting codes, farming records, and organic certifications areas where Vietnamese agriculture, including coconuts, remains structurally weak. Fresh coconut’s rise in export rankings is a positive signal, but it cannot yet be considered a sustainable success. Without timely planning of growing areas, standardization of varieties, quality control at the source, and accelerated digital transformation, today’s advantages may quickly fade. The current second-place position in fruit exports could ultimately prove to be only a fleeting moment.