Declining Prices of Musang King and Black Thorn Durians in Vietnam

The prices of Musang King and Black Thorn durians in Vietnam’s Ho Chi Minh City have been declining recently. The retail prices of Musang King durians in fruit stores have been fluctuating between 250,000 and 300,000 Vietnamese dong ($9.87–11.84) per kilogram, a 50% drop compared with the same period of last year. Meanwhile, the prices of Black Thorn durians are slightly higher, with retail prices ranging from 350,000 to 450,000 dong ($13.81–17.76) per kilogram, representing a 30% year-on-year decrease.

The varieties most favored by durian exporters are Monthong (also known as “golden pillow”) and Ri6, with Musang King and Black Thorn being only rarely purchased. On July 14, a durian export warehouse in Dak Lak province quoted first-grade Monthong at 96,000–99,000 dong ($3.79–3.91) per kilogram and second-grade Monthong at 76,000–79,000 dong ($3.00–3.12) per kilogram. The prices of Musang King were even lower than those of Monthong, with first-grade fruit at 88,000–92,000 dong ($3.47–3.63) per kilogram and second-grade fruit at 68,000–72,000 dong ($2.68–2.84) per kilogram. According to growers, the farm gate price for a typical 4-kilogram Black Thorn durian, which reached up to 2 million dong ($78.94) per fruit last year, has fallen by 40% this year to only 1.2 million dong ($47.37) per fruit.

Durian purchasers have noted that the prices of Musang King and Black Thorn durians have dropped significantly compared with the same period of last year, which is mainly attributable to a greater supply this year. Last year, consumers found the new varieties novel, and the limited market supply kept prices high. This year, however, production has increased, and with Monthong and Ri6 durians also in season, consumers have more choices. Despite this, Black Thorn durians are of excellent quality and have a greater yield than Monthong and Musang King. If they can be marketed during the off-season, their prices can still be maintained at higher levels.

In terms of cultivation scale, Black Thorn durians are currently only grown on a small scale in the city of Can Tho and the provinces of Gia Lai and Ben Tre, with most growers planting only 10–20 trees in their orchards. Consequently, the supply of this variety is still relatively limited.

The cultivation scale for Musang King durians is also not large. Compared with Monthong and Ri6 durians, Musang King durians require more complex cultivation techniques and have a much lower yield. The price of Musang King durians used to be double or triple that of the other two varieties. However, with the recent price drop, growers are experiencing losses. In many producing regions, Musang King durian trees are reportedly even being cut down.

Image: Pixabay

This article was translated from Chinese. Read the original article.