Durian from Lam Dong province fetches a good price, but farmers are unhappy.

Durian prices in Lam Dong reached 60,000 VND/kg, but prolonged rain caused the fruit to become tough and damaged, leading many orchards to sell at low prices or discard the crop.

Traders send people directly into the orchards to harvest durians as soon as the durians from Lam Dong are ready for sale - Photo: MV

In August 2025, the durian harvest in the southern communes of Lam Dong province became more bustling than ever. This year, the price of grade 1 durian remained at 60,000 VND/kg, a figure that delighted many farmers.

However, behind the joy of high prices, many orchard owners are facing losses due to prolonged rains causing a high rate of damaged durian fruit.

In Da Huoai (southern Lam Dong province), the "capital" of durian cultivation, hundreds of farming households have had a bumper harvest.

After three harvests, the family of Mr. Doan Cong Loi (Da Huoai 3 commune) achieved a yield of approximately 50 tons, bringing in revenue of over 3 billion VND.

"Traders buy everything we harvest. The price for grade 1 is over 60,000 VND/kg, and we sell it in bulk for 50,000 VND/kg. My whole family has had a golden harvest," Mr. Loi shared.

In Da Huoai 2 commune, considered the "heart" of the durian growing region, the cultivated area currently reaches over 3,400 hectares, with an average per capita income of approximately 103.5 million VND/year, the highest in the entire province.

A bustling atmosphere of buying and selling in the durian-growing region of southern Lam Dong province - Photo: MV

Mr. Le Quang Son, director of the Ha Lam Agricultural and Tourism Cooperative, said: "Although the price is lower than last year, a price above 60,000 VND/kg still helps farmers make a large profit. Many member households of the cooperative earn from several hundred million to several billion VND each year."

But that joy wasn't complete everywhere. Mr. Nguyen Thanh Son, director of the Da M'Ri Agricultural Cooperative, expressed: "This year the weather has been too erratic. From April until now, it has been raining continuously. The fruit was developing when it encountered heavy rain, absorbing too much water, leading to the flesh becoming tough, and even being attacked by fungal diseases."

Before loading the durians onto trucks, traders check their quality by peeling a few fruits in front of the orchard owner. Many batches of durians are rejected at this stage - Photo: MV

Many traders had placed deposits to purchase the fruit at 60,000 VND/kg. However, when harvest time arrived and samples were found to be tough, they immediately forced the price down to half, or even dirt cheap. Many farmers had to reluctantly sell off their produce at a loss, or separate the segments for retail sale, or freeze them in refrigerators to wait for another opportunity.

Mr. Nguyen Thai Son (Da Teh 2 commune) has 7 hectares of durian trees and signed a 3 billion VND contract with traders at the end of May. However, prolonged rain caused fungal diseases to develop in the orchard, damaging many fruits. "I had to reduce the price by 500 million VND for the traders so they could harvest early, but then they also suffered heavy losses when reselling," Mr. Son said.

Many durian fruits are beautiful but have become tough due to being contaminated by rainwater - Photo: MV

According to the Department of Agriculture and Environment of Lam Dong province, the durian growing area in the southern part of Lam Dong province has more than 6,000 hectares currently producing fruit. This is a durian growing area where most of the farming households have been granted planting area codes.

The Da Huoai region (Lam Dong province) is known as the durian capital thanks to its large harvesting area and export-quality durian.

Farmers proactively harvest and sort durians for easier sale at 60,000 VND/kg - Photo: MV

Some durians had very beautiful shapes, but were discarded due to signs of rainwater damage and a tough, unripe texture - Photo: MV

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MV

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/sau-rieng-lam-dong-duoc-gia-nhung-nong-dan-buon-20250827160545364.htm