A reproduction of a durian sits atop packages of durian cakes from Vietnam at a "Belt and Road Products New Year's Marketplace" at a shopping mall in Beijing, Jan 10, 2020. (PHOTO / AP)

HANOI - The off-season Monthong durian price in Vietnam has surged 50 percent compared to the main season last year as traders scrambled to find supply to meet Chinese demand, VnExpress reported Friday.

Price of Monthong durian now ranges from 178,000 Vietnamese dong ($7.23) to 185,000 dong ($7.52) per kilogram, rising 23 percent from last month and 50 percent from last year's main season which lasts from September to November.

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Last year, Vietnam's durian export revenue posted $2.2 billion, accounting for nearly 40 percent of the country's total fruit and vegetable exports, according to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development

The newspaper cited Dang Phuc Nguyen, general secretary of Vietnam Fruits and Vegetables Association, as saying that Chinese people were buying durians in large amounts as gift for the upcoming Lunar New year holiday.

Traders said durian prices increased sharply before the holiday as supply is limited while demand for export remains high, Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper reported.  

Monthong durian is a Thai variety that has been grown in Vietnam in recent years.

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Last year, Vietnam's durian export revenue posted $2.2 billion, accounting for nearly 40 percent of the country's total fruit and vegetable exports, according to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.