What is the reason for the skyrocketing price of durian?

The export market still has a lot of room, especially at the end of the year, but with the current high durian purchase price, it should not continue to increase.

In the domestic market, on November 13, a survey at export durian purchasing warehouses in the Mekong Delta and the Western region showed that the price of Monthong durian (also known as Dona) type A has reached 200,000 VND/kg. In particular, some warehouses also announced a price of 202,000 VND/kg.

For grade B goods, the purchase price of Monthong durian fluctuates between 180,000 - 182,000 VND/kg, an increase of about 35,000 VND/kg compared to the end of October.

Similar to Ri6 durian, the purchase price for grade A is 153,000 - 155,000 VND/kg, and 133,000 - 135,000 VND/kg for grade B. Compared to the end of October, the price of Ri6 durian has not changed much.

By October 2024, durian is still the product contributing the most export value in the fruit and vegetable industry.

According to records in Hau Giang , the price of off-season durian is nearly double that of the regular crop. Gardeners said that treating off-season flowering trees helps to sell at high prices and stabilize output, but it comes with increased production costs due to expensive care and low fruit set rate. Currently, Hau Giang has about 2,900 hectares of durian, mainly concentrated in Chau Thanh A, Phung Hiep, Chau Thanh districts and Nga Bay city, with an average yield of 14-16 tons/ha.

The agricultural sector of Hau Giang province encourages people to apply high technology and produce according to the value chain to improve quality, ensure output and competitiveness of products.

A survey in Ben Tre province showed that the purchase price of durian has also increased, ranging from 130,000 - 140,000 VND/kg for Ri 6 durian of good quality, and Thai durian costs from 160,000 VND/kg or more. Traders in Ben Tre province also said that finding a source of supply from durian gardens is becoming difficult, as the number of qualified durians is decreasing.

In the export market, the prices of Vietnamese Ri6 and Monthong durians continue to be stable. According to the Vietnam Food Association (VFA), Ri6 durian type A (1.8 – 5kg) is priced at VND152,000/kg, while Monthong type A (2 – 5.5kg) fluctuates at VND179,000/kg.

According to the Vietnam Fruit and Vegetable Association, the reason for the price increase is due to limited supply but high export demand leading to high market prices; the purchase price for Monthong durian at 200,000 VND/kg is too high compared to the market, so from now until the end of the year it is difficult to increase further.

The export market still has a lot of room, especially at the end of the year, but with the purchase price reaching the threshold, it should not be pushed up any further. Because it is very likely to cause a price bubble, quite unstable in market prices and consumer demand.

Also according to the Association, in the first 10 months of 2024, durian is still the product contributing the most export value in the fruit and vegetable industry, with more than 3 billion USD.

In September alone, durian exports accounted for 65% of the country’s fruit and vegetable export turnover. In the first nine months of the year, durian exports reached 2.7 billion USD, an unprecedented export record for a Vietnamese fruit.

However, the Vietnam Fruit and Vegetable Association believes that Vietnamese durian is facing strong competition in the main market, China. Therefore, this is also the time to promote the formation of sustainable durian models.

According to data from China’s General Administration of Customs, the country imported more than 1.4 million tons of durian in 2023, with the value increasing 70% year-on-year to $6.7 billion. But experts note that China’s annual per capita durian consumption is only about 1kg, compared with 13kg in Malaysia and 4kg to 5kg in Thailand.

Source: https://congthuong.vn/dau-la-ly-do-gia-sau-rieng-dinh-noc-kich-tran-358564.html