Shared sorrow - durian

Carefully tending to the durian fruit on the tree, a rare smile can be seen, despite the weary expression on the faces of this farmer, who is not only suffering alone but has become a shared tragedy as the price at the farm has dropped to only 30,000 VND per kilogram.

With prices falling, will farmers cut down their durian trees?

"Durians are overflowing onto the streets, it's a pity for the farmers! But 30,000 VND/kg is a price affordable for ordinary people like us," those buying durians on the roadside confessed. For the past few years, the price of export-grade durian has been 80,000-90,000 VND/kg, making it difficult to buy. Having become accustomed to high prices, durian has naturally become a luxury, billion-dollar commodity… now that it's fallen out of favor, will farmers cut down their trees when the price drops?!

Mr. Mến, a farmer in Châu Thành, Đồng Tháp , carefully tends to each durian fruit in his garden. Photo: Ng. Đém

"For durian growers who master the techniques and control costs, a price of 30,000 VND/kg for durian is still a viable option. According to Mr. Nguyen Van Dem, M.Sc., from Phi Nhieu Co., Ltd., who specializes in advising durian growers on safe farming practices, a ^1,000m² plot with 20 durian trees will bear fruit in 3 years. With ten fruits per tree, each weighing 3kg or more, the average income per tree is 1 million VND, or 20 million VND per 1,000m², or 200 million VND per hectare. Currently, growers planting at a high density of 40 trees per 1,000m² double their income, reaching 400 million VND per hectare. While not generating billions of dong, compared to longan, oranges, mangoes, etc., no other crop offers higher income than durian. No other crop recoups its investment and generates profit as quickly as durian, so there won't be the ruthless felling of durian trees like with other crops," Mr. Dem confidently stated, speaking to a group of growers in Chau Thanh, Dong Thap.

Despite the low prices, Mr. Mến still meticulously cares for his orchard, personally inspecting each durian fruit and tree, and closely monitoring the domestic market to see what kind of durian consumers prefer – domestic or foreign varieties, naturally ripened or treated with chemicals…? Mr. Đém has evidence. The consequences are even more serious if care is neglected: Income won't cover investment costs and labor, debt will ruin reputation; later, no one will dare to do business with them. Many families find that a slight lapse in care leads to weakened trees and crop failure. The pressure of making a living causes stress for the family, and in the worst-case scenario, resentment and even leaving… Mr. Mến also has evidence.

As fellow orchard owners in Chau Thanh, Mr. Men discussed with his neighbors the formation of a group to cope with adversity, focusing on several things: 1/ Sharing systematic orchard care methods and cost control, rather than neglecting the crop; 2/ Finding online sales channels, selecting high-quality fruit and supplying it consistently instead of selling in bulk to traders who treat it with chemicals; 3/ Opening and selling fruit directly to consumers; 4/ Visiting agricultural markets and large-scale retail outlets to offer their products; 5/ Learning negotiation skills to find outlets at fruit stores and supermarkets with a commitment to stable supply. In particular, they worked together to build a brand of delicious, naturally ripened fruit, ensuring each fruit was firm and substantial, thus building trust with buyers and securing better prices.

Someone told these farmers that the Governor of Takeo Province, Vei Samnang, had instructed authorities at the border crossing to prevent durian imports into Cambodia because they contained chemicals harmful to consumers. When durian prices fall and there is no market, there will be illegal imports into the Cambodian market. Mr. Vei Samnang had previously predicted and happily reported that "so far there has been no illegal durian import activity through Takeo Province."

Mr. Nguyen Ngoc Thanh, a consultant specializing in plant nutrition and soil science who has supported durian cultivation in Kampot, Takeo, said that farms there plant durian trees with a spacing of 10 meters between each tree. With this spacing, they can conveniently care for each tree using biological methods, without the pressure of chemical fertilizers and pesticides, and are confident in applying digitalization to make it easy for customers to trace the origin of the product.

The strategy from Thai SELECT - Orchid Star to Otod

Thailand is also focused on accelerating the distribution and consumption of 950,000 tons of durian. Minister of Commerce Pichai Naripthaphan called for cooperation between the ministry and various organizations to promote domestic and export trade, synchronizing production, marketing, and processing activities. The Department of Domestic Trade (DIT) immediately linked up with major retail chains such as Siam Paragon, Central, The Mall, and CP Axtra.

Experts voluntarily share their experience in safe and sustainable durian cultivation with farmers. Photo: Ch.L

The agricultural association, fertilizer manufacturers, and the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives have collaborated on the "Cheap Fertilizer Program 2025" to provide quality fertilizers in over 79 different formulations to protect durian growing areas. 26 suppliers nationwide have made 10.06 million bags available for this program, with a discount of US$1.35 per bag.

Thailand is coordinating resources across seven implementation measures and 25 action plans to boost global agricultural exports, aligning with its strategic vision. To ensure success, the Ministry of Commerce upgraded the "Thai Select" certification mark, introducing a new logo featuring an honorary orchid star, categorized into four tiers: Thai Select 1-star, 2-star, 3-star, and Thai Select Casual. Many Thai restaurants abroad are also participating in this program, promoting the Thai Select brand and paving the way for importing ingredients from Thailand to countries with Thai restaurants worldwide. Thai Select continues to be improved with the "Orchid Star" symbol. Minister Pichai places high hopes on agreements from bilateral free trade agreements (FTAs) with the European Union, South Korea, and the ASEAN-Canada agreement, opening up avenues for trade connections between Thailand and over 50 countries. The success of the FTAs ​​boosted Thailand's export growth to 17.8% in March, reaching $29.55 billion.

Regarding the Chinese market, when the General Administration of Customs of China (GACC) extended the operating hours of its checkpoints to 24/7 and strengthened border laboratory facilities to inspect Thai durian (controlling the dye Basic Yellow 2 (BY2), eliminating contaminants that had previously led to shipment rejections), the Thai Minister of Agriculture mobilized nine laboratories in Thailand to simultaneously screen for BY2 to avoid further rejections and persistently worked to gain China's recognition of an additional laboratory, Central Laboratory (Thailand) Co Ltd, based in Chachoengsao.

Six months ago, the Digital Economy Promotion Agency (DEPA) of Thailand launched the "digital durian" project to help 8.8 million durian farmers improve productivity and establish specific standards for Thai durian. According to Pantanu Wannagangsai, an advisor to the Ministry of Digital Economy and Society (DES), this project not only aligns with the government's current policies addressing farmers' debt, income levels, and living costs, but also builds consumer confidence domestically and internationally, promoting high-quality Thai products globally. This is especially important given the fierce competition Thai durian products face from other Southeast Asian countries and even from China's "self-reliant" durian.

Currently, the area under durian cultivation in Thailand is over 1.02 million rai (more than 136,000 hectares), with an annual production of 1.53 million tons. Durian accounts for 69% of Thailand's total fruit exports, equivalent to over 991,557 tons in 2023. China is the largest importer of Thai durian.

Thailand has 234 durian varieties registered with the government, of which 60-80 are widely cultivated according to three maturity index groups: 1/ Early maturity (103-105 days) including Chanee, Gradum-tong, and Lueng; 2/ Medium maturity (127-130 days) including Monthong, Gob, and KanYau; 3/ Late maturity (140-150 days) including Gumpan, Enak, and Tong-Yoi-chat. Of all durian varieties grown in Thailand, Monthong accounts for 41%, Chanee 33%, Kan Yau 5%, and Gradum-Tong 2%... According to Mr. Nguyen Van Dem, Thailand still has enormous potential. They don't need to borrow genetic resources or names from anyone.

China is quite different. According to the Global Trade Atlas, China imports fresh durian from Thailand, Vietnam, the Philippines, and Malaysia. The Thai Trade Promotion Office in Xiamen, China, stated that the country has started producing durian in Hainan, selling it for 300 baht per 0.5 kg (approximately 207,000 VND).

According to a report by China News Service, durian cultivation is widespread in areas such as Sanya and Yucai, Hainan. Durians from genetically selected sources have thrived. Last year, approximately 500 trees began bearing fruit. The first batch of durians from Hainan reached the market in late June. The Hainan durian harvest season runs from June to August, peaking in July. A four-year-old durian tree can yield 19 fruits, each weighing about 2 kg. In the next 3-5 years, the area under durian cultivation in Hainan is expected to exceed 6,600 hectares. However, Hainan durians are noted for their mild aroma and lack of a creamy, smooth texture.

Some others say that Hainanese durian rice is reminiscent of unripe bananas, lacking flavor, and even dry, hard, and bland.

For Thailand, even if Hainan durian is considered unappealing, Thai durian must be meticulously prepared. The One Tambon, One Digital (Otod) project, launched by the Digital Economy Promotion Agency of Thailand (Depa), aims to help 6,100 durian farmers in Thailand use applications to record their cultivation process, facilitating the tracking of individual plants and data specific to each growing region. Furthermore, 12,200 farmers in 23 provinces will be trained in using e-commerce applications to demonstrate how to make durian a heavenly delicacy, regardless of the prejudice that it represents a "thin line between heaven and hell."

Integrated agricultural and industrial model

According to freshplaza.com, the lesson shared by Uniban's chairman, Manuel Laborde, is that "the difference in the international market" is recognized in terms of taste, texture, and growing conditions. Uniban, with nearly 60 years of experience, has developed an agro-industrial model combining large production areas with the work of more than 2,400 small farmers.

Since Uniban's main product is bananas, the company's portfolio includes both conventional and organic Cavendish bananas, as well as Hartón and Popocho bananas, which are produced year-round in Urabá, Santa Marta, and Chocó.

According to Manuel Laborde, Europe is Uniban's main destination, with 38% of its export market share projected for 2024 through its subsidiary Tropical Marketing Associated (TMA). Germany, the United Kingdom, France, and the Netherlands lead the demand for certified fruit.

Manuel Laborde also highlighted the growth of Puerto Antioquia, with an 80% increase, as a key element of Uniban's growth strategy, which includes strengthening: 1/the premium product portfolio; 2/expanding the range of value-added snack products; and 3/reinforcing alliances with smaller producers.

While organic products aren't everything, progress through a series of environmentally friendly actions, human engagement, ethical behavior, etc., makes sense in the agro-industrial model when it comes to efficiency and sustainability, instead of fragmentation, everyone fending for themselves, and being consumed by individualism.

CHAU LAN

Source: https://baocantho.com.vn/sau-chung-sau-rieng-a187052.html