Vietnamese and Thai durians flood the market, and imported durian prices plunge 30-40% in one month

According to Vietnamese media reports, at the end of April the orchard purchase price of Ri 6 (Vietnamese Chin Hoa) fell 30-40% compared with early April, to 50,000-55,000 Vietnamese dong/kg, equivalent to 14.7-15.2 yuan/kg.

Surveys show that purchase prices in Tien Giang Province, Ben Tre Province and Can Tho City were only 50,000 Vietnamese dong/kg, down 20,000 Vietnamese dong from early April, and directly down 120,000 Vietnamese dong/kg from the historic high in early February.

Ms. Linh, a buyer in Tien Giang Province, said that the export durians she purchases cost 55,000 Vietnamese dong/kg for grade 1 fruit and 48,000 Vietnamese dong/kg for grade 2 fruit. The purchase price of Thai durians is 60,000 Vietnamese dong/kg for grade 1 fruit, 50,000 Vietnamese dong/kg for grade 2 fruit, and 40,000 Vietnamese dong/kg for small durians.

Ms. Linh said that Vietnamese Ri 6 durians are currently very abundant and growers have very high yields, harvesting hundreds of tons a day. The main reason the durian price has fallen to the same level as last year is that durians from Thailand and the Philippines are both competing, and Chinese importers are no longer buying in large quantities as before.

Ngu Hiep Company of Tien Giang Province said that Vietnamese durians have entered the main production season, supply has increased in Tien Giang Province, Ben Tre Province, Tra Vinh Province and Vinh Long Province, and durians in Vietnam's Southeast region are also about to be harvested.

It is reported that the Lao government has agreed to provide Chinese companies with 30,000 hectares of agricultural land specifically for planting durians, an area equivalent to 27% of Vietnam's durian planting area. And 1,400 mu of durians in Sanya City, Hainan Province, China, are also about to mature and go on the market in June, drawing attention from the Vietnamese industry.

Vietnam Customs data show that in the first two months of this year, Vietnam's durian export value reached as high as 56.9 million US dollars, up 290.8% year on year. China is the main export destination, accounting for 83% of total export value.

Because China's durian market is very large, farmers in western Vietnam have already converted thousands of hectares of rice fields and jackfruit orchards to durian. The planting area is still expanding and has exceeded 15,000 hectares. Vietnam's Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development advises farmers not to plant durians in large quantities, to avoid oversupply. For some time to come, growers need to continue improving cultivation techniques, improving quality and maintaining stable yields to ensure year-round exports.