Banana export season gets off to a good start

Fresh banana exports recorded encouraging growth in January, as both prices and output increased year-on-year.

Farmers growing tissue-cultured bananas in Quang Trung commune expect a bumper harvest with reasonable export prices. Photo: Binh Nguyen

Accordingly, at the beginning of 2026, export prices of tissue-cultured bananas at times surged to over VND 20,000 per kilogram, driven by strong demand in both export and domestic markets ahead of the Lunar New Year 2026.

Broader market prospects forecast

Banana is currently one of Viet Nam’s key fruit crops and ranks among the country’s major fruit export items. By 2025, the nation’s total banana-growing area had reached 163,500 hectares, with total output estimated at around 2.75 million tonnes. In 2024, banana export turnover hit 378 million USD, ranking fourth among Viet Nam’s leading fruit exports.

Entering 2026, banana exports have benefited from favorable conditions, with prices rising sharply, raising farmers’ expectations of a bumper crop and strong returns. Pham Van Quy, a banana grower in Thanh Son commune, said this year’s harvest has been less favorable than in previous years. Fertilizer prices have increased by 30-40 percent compared with last year’s crop, while other inputs have also become more expensive. In particular, prolonged cold spells have delayed banana maturity and harvest by 15-30 days compared with typical seasons, driving up production costs.

In return, export banana prices have remained high since the beginning of the year. Although prices have eased from the January peak, the current farm-gate price of around VND 14,000 per kilogram still allows farmers to earn solid profits. Based on market information, export demand is forecast to grow well, giving banana growers confidence as they wait for harvest.

Sharing the same view, Ly Minh Hung, Director of Thanh Binh Cooperative in Bau Ham commune, said that 2026 still holds significant potential for fresh banana exports and processed banana products. Leveraging standardized export-oriented raw material areas, the cooperative has expanded in recent years into more demanding, higher-value markets for both fresh bananas and processed products derived from banana fruit and stems.

Le Thi Anh Tuyet, Deputy Director of the Dong Nai Department of Agriculture and Environment, said Dong Nai is considered the country’s “banana capital” for export. As one of the province’s key crops, bananas are being developed through concentrated production zones. To promote and boost banana exports, the department is proposing to the Provincial People’s Committee a plan to organize a banana export ceremony in the first quarter of 2026.

According to Dinh Cao Khue, Vice Chairman of the Viet Nam Fruit and Vegetable Association, the fruit and vegetable sector in general, particularly key export items such as durian, banana, and pineapple, still has ample room for breakthrough growth. More importantly, while Viet Nam’s fruit and vegetable exports for many years relied mainly on several traditional markets and familiar product lines, the sector now presents a different picture, consolidating existing markets while breaking into more demanding markets and gradually moving into higher-value-added consumer segments.

Opportunities to expand cultivation area

Under the fruit tree development project to 2030, the country’s total banana-growing area is projected to reach 165,000 to 175,000 hectares, with output estimated at 2.6 to 3 million tonnes. Export market potential for Vietnamese bananas is expected to continue rising, creating room for farmers to expand cultivation further.

Banana is among Dong Nai’s key fruit crops with substantial export advantages. By the end of 2025, the province’s total banana-growing area had reached nearly 20,300 hectares, with output surpassing 676,500 tonnes, up almost seven percent year on year. Besides the expansion of cultivation area, higher output has also resulted from farmers’ growing experience and the application of advanced technologies and techniques in production.

Thanks to robust export performance, bananas are now among the top crops by economic value. As a result, cultivation areas have steadily expanded in many localities over the past few years.

Quy added that even traditional markets once considered less demanding, such as China, are now imposing increasingly strict requirements on fresh banana imports. These updated quality standards are promptly communicated to growers through partners from China and other countries. “The key is that farmers must strictly comply with new production standards to ensure product quality for export partners. The export potential for bananas remains substantial. Large-scale farms meeting quality standards will not lack buyers and can even take the initiative in selecting partners. In 2025, I cultivated about 110 hectares of bananas for export to multiple countries and am planning to secure additional land to expand by several dozen hectares to seize opportunities in this promising market,” Quy shared.

According to Le Huy Quang, Deputy Head of the Bau Ham commune Economic Division, the locality is currently the province’s “banana capital” with 5,400 hectares under cultivation. Recognizing banana as a key crop, the locality has invested in infrastructure for specialized export-oriented growing areas, while also creating favorable conditions to attract enterprises and cooperatives to develop large-scale banana fields for export.

With current growth momentum, the fresh banana export market is expected to continue its upward trend in 2026. Bananas are therefore anticipated to join the country’s “billion-USD fruit export club in the time coming up.”

By L.Quyen – Translated by M.Nguyet, Minho