Rising Demand in China Driving Increase in Vietnamese Durian Prices

As Vietnam enters the durian off-season, demand in the Chinese market remains robust, contributing to a surge in purchase prices at the source.

Dak Lak province, a key durian-producing region in Vietnam, has nearly wrapped up this year’s harvest with production in excess of 200,000 metric tons. A substantial increase in purchase prices has accompanied the end of the harvest season. Meanwhile, the Mekong Delta region has also entered the off-season, resulting in a slight uptick in prices due to dwindling supplies.

The purchase price for durians continues to rise across provinces in the Mekong Delta, eastern and Central Highlands regions of Vietnam. As of Dec. 6, the wholesale prices for grade A Monthong (also known as “golden pillow”) durians had escalated to a range of 148,000–152,000 Vietnamese dong ($6.09–6.25) per kilogram. Ordinary fruit was fetching prices between 130,000–135,000 dong ($5.35–5.55) per kilogram. Similarly, grade A Ri6 Kanyao durians had commanded purchase prices of 125,000–130,000 dong ($5.14–5.35), while ordinary fruit was selling for 105,000–115,000 dong ($4.32–4.73) per kilogram.

Musang King durians were fetching the highest prices at purchase, ranging between 160,000–190,000 dong ($6.58–7.82) per kilogram. Due to a scarcity of high-quality fruit in October, Musang King durians were then priced at just 80,000–100,000 dong ($3.29–4.11) per kilogram, roughly in line with prices for other varieties. Now, only six weeks later and with Vietnam entering the off-season for durians, the prices of Musang King have nearly doubled.

According to Vietnamese media reports, the Plant Protection Department of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development in Vietnam has recently completed consultations on a draft standard for frozen durian exports to China. This standard, expected to be introduced soon, outlines criteria such as hand-selecting frozen durians to remove defective and rotten fruits, ensuring the fruits are free of metallic impurities, and specifying that exports must originate from registered orchards in Vietnam. The packaging must also adhere to relevant international food safety and hygiene standards. 

Image: Pixabay

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