From 2022 to present, the durian growing area in Can Tho City has increased nearly 3 times, from about 2,500 hectares to about 7,000 hectares. Durian is developed mainly in key fruit growing areas of the city such as Phong Dien district, Thoi Lai, part of Co Do district and O Mon district.
Although the area and output have increased steadily over the years, durian prices have fluctuated strongly. Notably, since the beginning of 2025, durian prices have continuously decreased due to the impact of fluctuations in the export market and balancing supply and demand.
Mr. Tran Thai Nghiem - Deputy Director of the Department of Agriculture and Environment of Can Tho City - said that for many years, the city's agricultural sector has persistently advised farmers not to grow durian according to the movement. Instead, focus on developing and expanding production in areas with favorable conditions for soil and technical infrastructure; encourage the community of durian farmers to cooperate to achieve output scale, facilitate the application of technology, establish management areas and link with actors in the value chain.
Not only as a producer, Mr. Nghiem also emphasized the role of businesses in building brands and expanding markets.
"Currently, durian consumption enterprises are developing quite vibrantly. We hope that businesses will expand to new markets in addition to traditional markets. In addition to exports, businesses also need to pay attention to the domestic consumer market because the size of the population and Vietnamese consumers are currently tending to consume products that ensure quality and safety. Building product lines with suitable brands and labels to meet domestic consumption needs is necessary, said Mr. Nghiem.
In the context of the Chinese market strengthening control of technical barriers for durian, Mr. Nghiem said that investing in modern, deep processing technology will contribute to reducing risks and increasing the value of this agricultural product when exporting.
Technical barriers will be resolved synchronously if we practice good production, manage the amount of fertilizers and pesticides used, etc. Moreover, processing technology can reduce the risk of harmful organics on the shells as well as increase the value of durian for export, said Mr. Nghiem.
Regarding the issue of investing in processing to increase the value of agricultural products in general and durian in particular, before that, in an interview with Lao Dong, Dr. Dang Kim Son - Former Director of the Institute of Policy and Strategy for Rural Agricultural Development - emphasized that technical advances in processing and preserving agricultural products are extremely important to promote production and export.
In particular, technical advances in frozen fruits are truly a great opportunity for valuable agricultural products, both helping to extend sales time and saving transportation costs. To seize this opportunity, businesses need to invest in infrastructure, build value chains; farmers must form raw material areas, linked with processing facilities, taking advantage of good scientific and technical advances in freezing to enter new, high-value and demanding markets.
