HANOIwinblackjack, Aug. 15 (Xinhua) -- Vietnam's durian exports are projected to hit 3.5 billion U.S. dollars by year-end given favorable conditions, Vietnam News Agency reported Thursday, citing agricultural experts.

Dang Phuc Nguyen, general secretary of the Vietnam Fruit and Vegetable Association, said farmers in Mekong Delta provinces such as Tien Giang and Vinh Long had ramped up off-season durian production, significantly boosting output during the seven months since the start of this year.

Currently, around 50 to 60 percent of growing areas in the region are focusing on off-season production, he said.

In the remaining months of the year, a significant amount of durian, especially from the Central Highlands, will be exported, said the report.

Vietnam now has around 150,000 hectares of durian, with more than 75,000 hectares located in the Central Highlands, according to the ministry's Department of Crop Production.

The country's durian export revenue reached approximately 1.7 billion dollars between January and July, said the ministry.■