A major source of income is on the verge of collapse.

During the fruit ripening season, the price of longan fluctuates wildly from 12,000 VND/kg to 22,000 VND/kg, then 32,000 VND/kg in about a month, but when the fruit ripens in full swing, longan sold on the sidewalks only fetches 10,000 VND/kg. In July 2025, the price of durian at the farm was only about 20,000-24,000 VND/kg. Even though farmers cultivate off-season crops, the price of green mangoes (four-season, three-color) sometimes drops to only 1,000 VND/kg at the farm… Farmers are weary of waiting for traders. The reality is well known, it's a painful situation, and it's been talked about endlessly.

Durian – a tree worth billions of dong – can only maintain its value with organic durian like that grown by expert Huynh Quoi.

The dark painting

The practice of producing off-season fruits to avoid market saturation is no longer effective. Longan, lychee, durian, guava, rambutan… which don't compete during the main season, will face competition during the off-season. Many fruit varieties are separating from the main export supply chain. According to the Vietnam Customs Department, in the first five months of 2025, Vietnam's fruit and vegetable exports reached US$2.302 billion, a decrease of 13.5% compared to the same period in 2024. The Chinese market alone, while generating US$1.11 billion (accounting for 48.2% of Vietnam's total fruit and vegetable export value), saw a significant decrease of 35.1% compared to the same period in 2024. In May 2025, Vietnam's fruit and vegetable exports to China decreased by 39.7% compared to the same period last year. The situation improved in June 2025 with the peak lychee season.

China, the US, South Korea, Japan, and Thailand are the five key export markets for Vietnamese fruits and vegetables. In the first five months of 2025, Vietnam's fruit and vegetable exports to the US reached US$207.8 million, a 65.2% increase compared to the same period in 2024. Soon, fruit from the US will enter Vietnam with a 0% tariff. Fresh and processed fruit from Vietnam to the US (basic tariff: 5-10%) will be subject to an additional tariff of +10%. The total tariff will range from 15% to 20%. This applies to fruits such as mangoes, dragon fruit, lychees, rambutan, and canned fruit juices.

It's too early to say for sure, but many traders say that apples, plums, cherries, pears, and other imported goods on Vietnam's market will now be genuine, not counterfeit as before. Traders play a crucial role in this.

Companies like Ameii Vietnam JSC, Red Dragon Production, Trading and Service Co., Ltd., and Global Food Import-Export JSC have extensive experience in bringing Vietnamese lychees to markets in Japan, the US, and Australia. Similarly, Chanh Thu Group and Vina T&T have called for collaboration, connecting small orchards to operate within a supply chain, with export businesses connecting with trade attachés and importers…

Lessons learned that have caught the attention of global traders.

Exporting textiles is a "hard-learned" lesson in the art of attracting the attention of global traders. While not entirely satisfied, analysts at Research and Markets believe that the global market is paying more attention to the image and impact of concentrated, high-quality specialized farming areas and Vietnam's connections with the outside world.

Notably, China, the world's largest lychee exporter, has purchased at least 80-90% of its lychee production from Vietnam, according to analysts. There are varying forecasts. According to Research and Markets, analyzing market share, the value of the lychee market is projected to surge from US$6.73 billion in 2023 to US$8.79 billion in 2028, achieving a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 5.5% during this period. Meanwhile, Vantage Market Research forecasts global lychee market growth from US$10.3 billion in 2021 to US$13.46 billion in 2028, with a CAGR of 3.4% from 2022 to 2028.

Vietnam's lychee production in 2025 is projected to exceed 303,000 tons, a 30% increase compared to 2024. Vietnamese businesses are consolidating their position as the second largest producer of lychees in the global market.

Litchi chinensis, belonging to the Sapindaceae family, is a premium fruit with a strong international market presence and has captured the hearts of consumers worldwide. China proudly boasts that lychees have been known for 2,000 years. Legend has it that during the Tang Dynasty, Yang Guifei – a favorite of Emperor Xuanzong – loved lychees so much that Xuanzong ordered the people of Huanzhou to supply them as tribute for her enjoyment. Although the rebellion of Mai Thuc Loan was suppressed, the "lychee tribute" finally ended.

Historically, this part of the story shows that the South once had a type of lychee that was far more fragrant and delicious than the lychee of the Tang Dynasty.

Today, China, India, Madagascar, and Vietnam are major lychee suppliers. While Vietnam is developing traceable farms and growing areas, China and Australia are focusing on creating new varieties, especially seedless lychees. GreenAgrove (Malaysia) sells fresh seedless lychees from China; Tropical Planet Nursery (Australia) supplies seedless lychee seedlings; and Ross Creek Tropicals (Australia) advertises a variety called Sue Lin San with a pineapple flavor, according to EastFruit. Many places not only sell fresh, dried, and canned lychees but also harvest honey from the lychee trees when they bloom.

Making an impression on traders is crucial. Australia's fresh produce industry has launched a nationwide campaign to encourage children to eat more fruits and vegetables, in collaboration with celebrity artists (The Wiggles). The initiative was introduced in Brisbane at Hort Connections, attended by over 4,000 growers and stakeholders.

Processed fruit products were showcased at the Mekong Connect 2024 Economic Forum.

The International Fresh Produce Association of Australia and New Zealand (IFPA ANZ), with support from numerous industry organizations, organized this event to announce research findings showing that two-thirds of Australian parents consume less than half the recommended amount of fruit and vegetables for their children across seven countries studied by IFPA ANZ.

This campaign quickly attracted sponsoring partners including AUSVEG, Hort Innovation, Perfection Fresh, Flavorite, Mitolo Family Farms, and banana producers Premier Fresh and MacKays Marketing. IFPA ANZ represents a $24 billion industry and works to connect stakeholders across the entire flower and fresh produce value chain in both Australia and New Zealand.

South Africa also hosts tomato festivals in Johannesburg, attracting even Stéphane Layani, CEO of Rungis Market in Paris.

In Bac Giang, instead of just celebrating the export shipment with lion dances, Dragonberry Produce launched a certified cooperative lychee export program, marking a milestone in its long-term commitment to strengthening Vietnam-US agricultural relations through a sustainable and scalable supply chain. Dragonberry aims to trigger significant growth in the area and production of delicious Vietnamese lychees in the United States.

The paradox of where we live

For the past 15 years, the Southern Fruit Research Institute (CAQMN) has been selecting competitive fruit varieties to promote cultivation in export-oriented regions. In 2011, Associate Professor Dr. Nguyen Minh Chau, then Director of the CAQMN Institute, dreamed of achieving $500-600 million USD within the following 5-6 years.

Resolution 120 (NQ-120), issued in November 2017, oriented the Mekong Delta's agriculture towards aquaculture, fruit trees, and rice. In 2024, the Department of Crop Production (under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, now the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment) estimated the production of key fruit crops in the Mekong Delta (mangoes, oranges, tangerines, pomelos, longan, rambutan, durian, custard apple, jackfruit, etc.) at approximately 5.7 million tons, an increase of 429,700 tons compared to 2023.

Like rice, the Mekong Delta, renowned as Vietnam's largest rice granary and one of the world's leading rice exporting centers, has a harvest season that fails to attract the attention of global traders. Furthermore, a newly published study indicates that the Mekong Delta is facing challenges not only in food security but also in nutritional security and public health.

The Mekong Delta has an overweight and obesity rate of over 10.2%, ranking second nationwide. Average per capita rice consumption is higher than the national average, but the amount of vegetables and fruits consumed is only about 203 grams of vegetables and 115 grams of fruit per person per day, lower than the WHO recommendation (400 grams of fruit/day).

Rice is abundant, but the rates of obesity and diabetes are increasing rapidly. Notably, the obesity rate among young people in the Mekong Delta is increasing faster than in other regions nationwide, accompanied by a higher rate of diabetes. Associate Professor Dr. Dao The Anh, Deputy Director of the Vietnam Academy of Agricultural Sciences, stated this at the workshop “Solutions for transforming the rice industry ecosystem in the Mekong Delta: Research, development and business” organized by Can Tho University in collaboration with the International Water Management Institute (IWMI) from June 25-26, 2025.

Comprehensive business model

Viviane Filippi, representative of the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), frankly stated: “Despite achievements such as the ‘1 must - 5 reductions’ model, SRP, or the 1 million hectare high-quality rice project, scaling up still faces difficulties. The biggest challenge currently is expanding ecological agricultural models on a large scale due to uneven awareness and mindset among farmers, the lack of synchronized irrigation systems, and limited participation of businesses in the value chain (only 40% of rice area is directly purchased), coupled with gaps in monitoring, evaluation, technology application, and value chain linkages.”

The Farmmore app is considered a promising pilot project, focusing on users and promoting interaction among stakeholders. Although 74% of farmers are willing to adopt digital applications, the actual adoption rate is only 4%, according to Dr. Dang Kieu Nhan, Director of the Mekong Delta Development Research Institute.

The Mekong Delta rice industry faces three major challenges: 1. Climate change, land degradation, and low farmer incomes; 2. High methane emissions, overuse of chemical fertilizers, along with droughts, floods, and saltwater intrusion threatening production; 3. Small farm sizes (under 1 hectare) and fragmented supply chains further reduce competitiveness and quality control.

Ecological farming practices, sustainable certification, and the application of technology. In particular, the use of digital tools such as mobile applications, GIS, and sensors to support farmers in making real-time decisions. AI and satellite monitoring will enable low-cost remote monitoring of CH4 emissions and farming, while generating marketable carbon credits. Connecting smallholder farmers to a fair supply chain ensures profitability and safe rice for consumers. Building a comprehensive alliance between the government, researchers, businesses, and farmers to collaborate on policy development and innovation – Viviane Filippi emphasized: “First, we need to consider building databases and platforms so that buyers see the value of the products they purchase as truly worthwhile. Building databases, information platforms, enhancing farmers' capacity, along with developing cooperative models that meet investment needs and support policies… will be fundamental steps for this transformation.”

Ultimately, a comprehensive vision for transformation in the Mekong Delta must include sustainable solutions: digital infrastructure and ecosystems, inclusive business systems and smart tools, and smart capital models.

This observation has implications for the fruit and vegetable industry as well. Currently, many traders are moving to the Central Highlands, where there are large-scale orchards with easily traceable origins, to buy fresh fruit or processing materials that meet the required standards.

Chánh Thu Group, a renowned fruit exporter in Ben Tre, has also built processing plants in the Central Highlands, making these large-scale growing regions not only more vibrant with well-known and experienced entrepreneurs and businesses, but also demonstrating strong vitality and sufficient resources to promote the flow of fresh, processed fruit for export.

Sticking to the old ways is just making things difficult for yourself!

Text and photos: CHAU LAN

Source: https://baocantho.com.vn/nguon-loi-lon-dang-chao-dao-a188337.html