Summer fruit harvest faces difficulties.

Dong Nai has a large area of ​​fruit trees, with many key crops having their harvest season in the summer. This also coincides with the fruit harvest season in many provinces and cities across the country. The diverse varieties and abundant supply make the summer fruit season prone to bumper harvests and price drops.

Durian orchards in Tan Phu commune await buyers. Photo: B. Nguyen

This year's summer fruit harvest has been poor, yet prices have still fallen due to difficulties in the export market; domestic consumption has also slowed down due to the overall economic downturn.

Crop failure still leads to falling prices.

According to fruit farmers in the province, during the period when trees are being treated to induce flowering and fruiting, unexpected heavy and prolonged rains cause the trees to sprout new shoots. Farmers then have to spend more on fertilizer and pesticides to encourage the trees to flower again. As a result, in many localities, fruits such as durian, mangosteen, and rambutan are harvested 1-2 months later than the same period in previous years. In particular, this year's harvest has seen a higher incidence and more complex disease outbreaks, causing many fruit crops to experience reduced yields and quality.

Paradoxically, despite crop failure, fruit prices have plummeted. Currently, mangosteen is sold at the farm gate for only 22-25 thousand VND/kg; Thai rambutan is just over 10 thousand VND/kg, and regular rambutan is 2-3 thousand VND/kg, much lower than the average price in previous years. Even durian, considered the "king of fruits" thanks to its strong export performance, is experiencing a sharp price drop. Currently, Ri 6 durian is sold at the farm gate for 25-27 thousand VND/kg, while Thai durian is priced at 50-55 thousand VND/kg, a significant decrease compared to the same period last year.

According to Minister of Agriculture and Environment Do Duc Duy, exporting some key agricultural, forestry, and aquatic products still faces many difficulties. The Minister requested localities to review all planting area plans, avoiding uncontrolled expansion, especially on forest land and sloping land.

However, this price is only theoretical, as it's the price traders pay for high-quality, export-standard durian. In reality, many durian growers in the province have reached harvest time but have no traders buying their produce because the quality is substandard.

Mr. Nguyen Van Sinh, Director of Xuan Tam Durian Cooperative in Xuan Hoa commune, said that the cooperative has 80 hectares of durian trees. The Ri6 durian variety has been almost completely harvested, while the remaining 40 hectares of Thai durian, with a total yield of about 800 tons, have only been harvested to about 20%. In previous years, it took about 120 days from fruit setting to harvest. This year, many orchards have passed this time, but traders have not yet purchased the durians that have reached the required ripeness and quality.

Many orchard owners are currently on edge because the longer the harvest takes, the greater the risks. Mr. Sinh further shared that if the weather is favorable with plenty of sunshine, the durians will develop better flesh, and they might be able to sell them at a profitable price; however, if it continues to rain, the percentage of unripe durians will be high, failing to meet export quality standards and having to be sold at half the price, or even less than 20,000 VND/kg, as they might even have to sell them for ice cream. Durian farmers are very worried; if it continues to rain in the coming days, they are certain to suffer heavy losses from the harvest.

Mr. Ho Duc Tan, representative of the Management Board of Dau Giay Wholesale Market for Agricultural Products and Food (Dau Giay commune), commented that this year's summer fruit harvest saw a significant increase in fresh fruit arriving at the market compared to previous years, with an output of 250-270 tons of fresh fruit per day and night. In particular, lychees and plums from the North had a bumper crop, with the market consuming approximately 300 tons of lychees per month during the peak harvest season. Accordingly, although the production of summer fruits grown in the province was not as high as in previous years, due to the diverse range of varieties and the strong increase in supply, the average selling price this year is much lower than in previous years.

Fear of oversupply crisis

Many summer fruits are experiencing crop failures, yet prices remain sharply lower. This is due to supply exceeding demand, as the area under fruit cultivation has been rapidly increasing in recent years. Currently, the total area of ​​fruit trees in Dong Nai province is only 97,600 hectares, an increase of approximately 12,800 hectares compared to 2020 (including the former Dong Nai and Binh Phuoc provinces), focusing on key export crops such as durian, banana, citrus fruits, mango, jackfruit, and rambutan. This is also the general situation in many other provinces and cities nationwide. The total area of ​​fruit trees nationwide currently exceeds 1,269,000 hectares, an increase of hundreds of thousands of hectares compared to 2020.

Mr. Nguyen Van Muoi, Deputy Secretary General of the Vietnam Fruit and Vegetable Association, commented that Vietnam's main fruit crops are usually harvested from May to September each year. During this peak harvest period, supply exceeds demand, leading to a vicious cycle of price drops due to high demand. This year, the fruit export market is predicted to be more difficult than in previous years because many major importing countries, including China, have imposed stricter new regulations on quality standards. Meanwhile, farmers rush to plant crops that are profitable and command high prices, without paying attention to planning or market orientation. Farmers still plant crops based on experience, resulting in different styles in each orchard. The lack of professionalism and standardized processes for the entire production chain is a weakness of Vietnamese fruit when participating in the export market with increasing competitive pressure.

Furthermore, the weak links between farmers and businesses/distributors make it difficult for buyers and sellers to ensure the correct quality, quantity, timing, and price of supply. This leads to a paradox: businesses lack fresh fruit for processing and export, while farmers lack stable outlets and face volatile prices.

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Source: https://baodongnai.com.vn/kinh-te/202507/vu-thu-hoach-trai-cay-he-gap-kho-25b297c/