Coconut trees are returning to their "heyday".

(VLO) Since the beginning of the year, coconut farmers have been delighted because the price of coconuts has consistently increased, sales are easy, and the market is wide open.

Coconuts are currently out of season, and high demand for both export and domestic markets has led to a sharp increase in prices.

Prices remain high, with a wide output.

Ms. Ha Thi Nga (69 years old, residing in Cho Hamlet, My An Commune, Mang Thit District) said that she had just gathered a dozen dried coconuts (12 fruits) remaining in her garden and sold them to buyers for 120,000 VND; the 30 coconut trees that are bearing fruit, planted on nearly 2 acres of her garden, are all sold out because people come to buy them every week, even though her coconut garden is located in a secluded spot, far from the main road.

After the Lunar New Year of 2025, traders came to buy coconuts, picking them themselves from her garden, at prices ranging from 80,000-90,000 VND per dozen for dried coconuts and 40,000-50,000 VND per dozen for fresh coconuts.

According to the Department of Agriculture and Environment of Vung Liem district, over the past month, coconut prices in Vung Liem district have remained stable at a high level. The average price that traders pay for dried Siamese coconuts at the farm is 10,900 VND/fruit (an increase of 500 VND/fruit compared to the beginning of January 2025 and an increase of 6,900 VND/fruit compared to the same period last year) and for fresh Siamese coconuts is 5,000 VND/fruit (an increase of 1,000 VND/fruit compared to the same period last year).

Current coconut prices are the highest in nearly five years. During the two years affected by the COVID-19 pandemic (2020-2021), there were times when coconut prices soared, with many coconut farmers in the province selling dried coconuts at the farm to traders for 105,000-110,000 VND per dozen, and fresh coconuts for 55,000 VND per dozen.

In Ben Tre , in late March 2025, the price of dried coconuts rose to 180,000-190,000 VND per dozen, a record high, but farmers had no stock to sell because it was the dry season, the off-season, so production was low.

According to experts, domestic coconut prices are remaining high due to the shortage of coconuts in several countries with large coconut-growing areas, such as India and Malaysia. Malaysia, in particular, is increasing coconut imports to address the shortage and ensure sufficient supply during the fasting month and the Hari Raya Aidilfitri festival, with a focus on resolving the shortage of grated coconut and fresh coconut milk.

In addition, the fact that coconut plantations in the country are in the off-season, resulting in low yields and production, combined with large domestic businesses consuming coconuts for export processing, especially in Ben Tre province, has driven up the prices of raw coconuts and coconut products to record highs.

The area planted with coconut trees has also increased.

According to some farmers' analysis, compared to other popular perennial fruit trees such as durian, jackfruit, mandarin oranges, and pomelo, coconut trees currently yield lower income and profits, but they have many advantages. These include ease of cultivation, lower basic investment and maintenance costs, and a long lifespan, resulting in stable, long-term income.

Furthermore, coconut trees are not picky about soil and can be grown in acidic, saline, or low-lying areas; growing coconuts is a sure thing because all parts of the tree can be used.

If coconut trees are well cared for and not attacked by pests or diseases, they will bear fruit continuously. Furthermore, the sale of coconuts is currently very favorable because traders always come directly to the orchards to buy them.

Therefore, recently, many farmers have returned to planting coconuts, especially those with large plots of land and limited labor, thus increasing the area of ​​coconut cultivation in the province.

According to agricultural data, in 2010, the province had 7,396 hectares of coconut plantations; by the end of 2020, this figure had risen to 10,200 hectares, and by the end of 2024, it is projected to reach 10,865 hectares (with a harvest yield of 148,200 tons). Of this, the coconut growing area is mainly concentrated in four districts: Vung Liem (over 5,000 hectares), Tam Binh and Tra On (nearly 2,000 hectares each), and Mang Thit (over 1,200 hectares).

In the province, the most common coconut trees are tall varieties (such as the local coconut, fire coconut, and Tam Quan coconut). Recently, many diverse dwarf coconut varieties have been imported (such as the pineapple coconut, Siamese coconut, and dwarf coconut) and are widely planted and adapt well to the province's soil conditions. Many farmers also intercrop their coconut gardens with short-term crops such as potatoes, bananas, and vegetables to generate income in the short term while waiting for the coconut trees to mature.

The agricultural sector has been collaborating with businesses to support and guide farmers in establishing planting area codes (MODs), producing according to organic processes, and obtaining organic certification for coconuts to serve both export and domestic trade.

In Vung Liem district, the district is currently collaborating with businesses to implement organic coconut production in four communes: Trung Thanh Dong, Trung Thanh Tay, Hieu Nhon, and Tan An Luong, covering an area of ​​460 hectares. Of this, 75.12 hectares of coconut production in Trung An, Trung Hieu, and Trung Ngai communes have received organic certification.

To date, the province has 7 valid coconut export processing zones with an area of ​​96.82 hectares in Trung Nghia and Tan An Luong communes (Vung Liem district); 11 valid domestic coconut processing zones with an area of ​​121.05 hectares in Trung Nghia, Trung An, and Hieu Phung communes (Vung Liem district) and Tan Long Hoi and Tan An Hoi communes (Mang Thit district); and one packaging facility of An Phu Dat Import-Export Joint Stock Company, Vinh Long branch (in Thuan Tien B hamlet, Thuan An commune, Binh Minh town), processing coconuts with a capacity of 60 tons/day for export to the Chinese market.

Text and photos: MY TRUNG

Source: https://baovinhlong.vn/kinh-te/202503/cay-dua-tro-lai-thoi-dinh-cao-7b772e3/