If in previous years, the price of fresh areca nuts was only about 15,000 - 25,000 VND/kg, in 2024, from the beginning of the season, the price of areca nuts has increased sharply. From July until now, the price of fresh areca nuts in Nam Dinh has always been high, at this time the price of areca nuts is at a record high, reaching 95,000 VND/kg of fresh areca nuts.
Areca nut prices are high, areca nut growers in Hai Duong commune (Hai Hau district, Nam Dinh province) are excited, areca nut drying kilns operate day and night. Mr. Vuong Van Duc (53 years old), owner of an areca nut drying kiln in Hai Duong commune, said that he has been drying areca nut for more than 30 years, but this year is the year that areca nut prices have reached a record high.
"At this time, Chinese traders are purchasing a lot of dried areca nuts, so from the beginning of October until now, my drying oven has been operating at full capacity. As soon as fresh areca nuts arrive, the oven and workers work. The drying ovens apply the technology of drying according to the boiler chain, drying continuously for 3 days and 3 nights or 4 days and 3 nights to get the finished dried areca nut product. To dry the areca nuts to standard, the oven temperature is maintained at about 60 degrees.
According to the ratio, 5kg of fresh areca nuts will produce about 1kg of dried areca nuts, the price of dried areca nuts is currently at 450,000 - 500,000 VND/kg. This year's areca nut crop, my family plans to produce about 1,500 tons of fresh areca nuts," Mr. Duc shared.
Taking advantage of each areca crop to earn income from sorting dried areca, Ms. Vuong Thi Tien (71 years old, in Hai Duong commune) said: "This year, areca prices are good, so the drying kilns operate continuously, creating jobs for elderly workers like me to earn extra income. Whenever there is a product, the kiln owner calls me to work, on average I earn from 200,000 - 300,000 VND per day. On this occasion, with a large areca output, my income will be higher."
According to the owners of areca drying kilns in Hai Duong commune, the main consumer market for areca nuts is China. Usually, Chinese traders come to the facility to see the products, and after agreeing on the price, they import the goods to process into areca candy.
Currently, Hai Duong commune is one of the localities with the largest areca growing area in Nam Dinh. The whole commune has over 100 hectares of areca trees, planted in most hamlets. In addition, there are about 20 fresh areca drying kilns in the area, with a capacity of about 10 tons of fruit/kiln.
