Dong Thap: Dragon fruit prices drop, farmers face difficulties.

(DONG THAP) Recently, the price of dragon fruit in Dong Thap province has consistently been low. Meanwhile, the cost of off-season cultivation, fertilizers, and pesticides has increased, causing difficulties for many farmers.

Ms. Hoa watches as traders sort dragon fruit.

According to reports, after the Lunar New Year in 2026, the price of dragon fruit in the province surged again in a short period. At that time, wholesalers were buying red-fleshed dragon fruit of grade 3 at 22,000 - 23,000 VND/kg, grade 4 at 16,000 - 17,000 VND/kg. Mixed dragon fruit was priced at around 20,000 VND/kg.

However, the price of dragon fruit in the province has since dropped quite sharply. Currently, grade 3 red-fleshed dragon fruit is priced at around 15,000 VND/kg, while grade 4 is around 9,000 - 10,000 VND/kg.

The family of Ms. Nguyen Hanh Hoa (Quang Khuong hamlet, Tan Thuan Binh commune, Dong Thap province) cultivates 4 acres of red-fleshed dragon fruit. When we arrived, Ms. Hoa had just finished harvesting the dragon fruit. According to Ms. Hoa, this crop, using artificial lighting, yielded over 2 tons of dragon fruit from the 4 acres, which she sold in bulk at 12,000 VND/kg.

“Last year, at this time, I sold dragon fruit for 19,000 VND/kg. But since the beginning of this year, the price of dragon fruit has remained low. Due to the high cost of fertilizer and pesticides, and the low yield, I've lost money this season,” said Mrs. Hoa.

According to Mr. Nguyen Huu Nghia, a dragon fruit trader in Tan Thuan Binh commune, the price of red-fleshed dragon fruit has remained low in recent days. Accordingly, bulk dragon fruit is priced at 12,000 - 12,500 VND/kg. If farmers sell by selection, grade 3 dragon fruit is priced at 15,000 VND/kg, and grade 4 at 9,000 - 10,000 VND/kg.

Along with red-fleshed dragon fruit, the price of white-fleshed dragon fruit is currently very low. Accordingly, the price of this fruit ranges from 4,000 to 5,000 VND/kg for bulk purchases. At this price, farmers are incurring losses.

According to the Department of Agriculture and Environment of Dong Thap province, the total area of ​​dragon fruit cultivation in the province is currently about 8,500 hectares, with a production of over 300,000 tons per year. Dragon fruit is grown mainly in communes such as Tan Thuan Binh, Luong Hoa Lac, An Thanh Thuy, My Tinh An, Dong Son, etc. In May 2026, the dragon fruit harvest was estimated at around 17,000 tons, and in June at around 38,000 tons (due to the peak season).

In reality, dragon fruit consumption has been heavily dependent on exports, primarily to the Chinese market. When import demand decreases or transportation difficulties arise, dragon fruit prices often fall rapidly.

According to the Department of Agriculture and Environment, in the coming time, Dong Thap will focus on applying science and technology to production to improve the quality and competitiveness of dragon fruit in the export market. The province also calls for and encourages businesses to invest in building factories to produce diverse processed products from dragon fruit to help address the surplus of dragon fruit during the peak harvest season.

Furthermore, the Dong Thap Department of Agriculture advises farmers against expanding cultivation areas indiscriminately; focusing on improving quality and applying production processes that meet VietGAP and GlobalGAP standards to facilitate connections with processing and export businesses. At the same time, the locality is also promoting the integration of dragon fruit into domestic consumption chains and e-commerce, helping to stabilize output and reduce dependence on traditional markets.

ANH THU

Source: https://baodongthap.vn/dong-thap-gia-thanh-long-giam-nha-vuon-gap-kho-a240988.html