Double worry
While durian prices on the market are fluctuating unfavorably for growers, in Lam Dong province , areas from Bac Ruong, Nghi Duc, Nam Thanh to Da Huoai 1, 2, 3 and Bao Lam 1, 2, 3 communes have experienced consecutive heavy rains, significantly affecting the quality of durian fruit and causing concern among durian growers.
Ms. Nguyen Thi Lien, who owns over 10 hectares of durian trees in Hamlet 1, La Da Commune, has been worried sick these past few days. She confided: “My family's durian trees are about to ripen. Around 10-15 days before ripening, traders will come to inspect the orchard, assess the price, and place a deposit. However, if there is heavy, continuous rain 3-5 days before the durians ripen, the flesh will become tough and the ripening will be uneven. At that point, the durians will only sell as low-quality fruit, at extremely low prices, or even worse, traders might abandon their deposits and refuse to buy them…”
Mr. Nguyen Dung from La Day village, La Da commune, said: "Durian harvesting in La Da begins from the beginning of June to the end of August. Currently, some traders have come to inspect the fruit to determine the price. According to the current market price, grade A Ri6 durian is only 40,000 - 45,000 VND/kg, while lower quality durian is only 20,000 - 25,000 VND/kg... To ensure quality and yield, it is necessary to invest in fertilizers and pesticides for each tree from the time of the previous harvest to the time of the new harvest, costing about 2 - 2.2 million VND per tree."
If a healthy Ri6 tree yields 30-40 fruits, equivalent to 100-120 kg/tree, selling at the current average price of 30,000-35,000 VND/kg (including both grade A and lower quality fruit), the total revenue would be around 3-3.5 million VND. After deducting costs, the profit would be approximately 1-1.3 million VND. Meanwhile, it takes 6 months of care from flowering to harvest. If family members do the work, the profit is essentially just covering the labor costs; if hired labor is involved, there's hardly any profit left...
It's not just Mr. Dung and Ms. Lien; many households in the communes of Da Huoai, Da Teh, and Cat Tien, which currently have over 10,000 hectares of durian orchards, share similar concerns. The durian from this region, along with La Da and Nam Thanh, boasts a delicious aroma, a mild sweetness, a smooth texture, and minimal fiber; earning the trust of consumers both domestically and internationally.
The Da Huoai region in general has become the "durian capital," with many farmers earning billions of dong. In Da Huoai communes alone, in previous years, when durian prices were high and stable, more than 1,000 households earned 500 million dong or more, while over 400 households earned over 1 billion dong. To date, the communes have established clubs for billionaire farmers, focusing on investing in durian cultivation.
Mr. Le Thanh Son, Chairman of the Board of Directors and Director of Da M'ri Agricultural Cooperative (Da Huoai 2 commune), said: Currently, Ri6 durian has begun its early harvest season, with the current purchase price around 25,000 - 30,000 VND/kg for bulk produce. Generally, the price is lower than last year, but that's due to market factors. However, cooperative members still focus on the quality and appearance of their products to meet market demands...
Expectations as the market expands...
While durian growers in Lam Dong are worried about falling prices and unfavorable weather conditions, there's good news: Vietnam has gained a new market in India, with over a billion people accepting Vietnamese durian imports. Notably, Vietnamese durian is increasingly present in demanding markets such as the United States, South Korea, Australia, and Japan. The expansion of export markets means greater demand for durian, eliminating reliance on exports to China. This gives durian growers hope for higher sales, increased prices, and higher profits.
According to durian growers in Lam Dong province, durians will begin to ripen in about 10 days. With current prices, farmers are quite worried and are waiting for market price fluctuations. In the eastern and southern parts of Lam Dong province, durian harvesting will begin in stages in the communes of La Da, Nghi Duc, Nam Thanh, Da Huoai, Da Teh, and Cat Tien; harvesting will be later in the communes and wards of Bao Loc, Bao Lam, and Di Linh due to weather and soil conditions.
From another perspective, to have a durian orchard bearing fruit, farmers have to invest at least 4-5 years, spending millions of dong per tree. Therefore, having started something, they must continue investing in its care even with low profits, hoping only that the durian export market will expand and prices will stabilize, giving people confidence in durian cultivation...
While durian growers in Lam Dong are worried about low prices and unfavorable weather conditions, there's good news: Vietnam has gained a new market in India, with over a billion people accepting Vietnamese durian imports. Vietnamese durian is also increasingly present in demanding markets such as the United States, South Korea, Australia, and Japan.
Source: https://baolamdong.vn/lo-vi-gia-sau-rieng-xuong-thap-443097.html
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