Dried coconut prices increase
With 2 hectares of coconut being cultivated, Mr. Tran Thanh Hoa (Cu Lao Dung commune) said that before, his family mainly sold fresh fruit, with prices ranging from 25,000 - 30,000 VND/dozen (12 fruits), at the peak the price was only 45,000 - 50,000 VND/dozen. Low economic efficiency has prompted Mr. Hoa to switch to selling dried coconuts.
Along with extending the time to bear fruit, from 6 months to 8 months, the entire growing process has been turned towards organic to improve quality, towards cooperation with export enterprises.
This method helps Mr. Hoa significantly reduce production costs. Notably, although the number of fruits is average, the size is uniform, the plants are clean, and the price is also higher than traditional farming methods.
During the harvest (from September to March of the following year), Mr. Hoa's 2 hectares of coconut trees produce about 5.5 trillion/phase (1 trillion equivalent to 1,200 fruits) and are harvested continuously, 30 - 50 days apart.
"In my family's 15 years of growing coconuts, I have never seen the price of dried coconuts increase so much. Traders come to the garden to buy at 130,000 VND/dozen, sometimes up to 160,000 VND/dozen. With the current coconut price, the family estimated revenue at nearly 200 million VND/time, 2-3 times higher than before, Mr. Hoa said excitedly.
Mr. Ha Thai Phin - Head of the Economic Department of Cu Lao Dung commune - informed that the whole commune currently has about 1,450 hectares of scattered coconut trees. Coconut prices are high, due to high consumption demand and reduced supply. For more than a year, most of the coconut output in Cu Lao Dung has been purchased and brought to Vinh Long for processing and export.
Since the end of last year, when coconut prices tended to increase rapidly, farmers in the commune have boldly converted ineffective production areas to grow specialized coconuts. Thanks to being suitable for alluvial soil and being able to withstand brackish and saline water, coconut trees grown here give stable productivity and quality.
Building organic coconut material areas
Faced with the high price of coconuts, Cu Lao Dung commune has coordinated with Ben Tre C missile Import-Export Joint Stock Company to build an organic coconut material area of about 263 hectares, associated with 2 growing area codes for export. The raw material area will be produced according to strict business processes, combined with the local foundation for improving growing areas.
The locality is oriented to plan coconut areas in places with a foundation, linking with businesses to ensure stable consumption, technical support and improve product quality, Mr. Phin added.
It is known that the Vietnam Coconut Association has worked with the Department of Agriculture and Environment of Can Tho City and Agribank in the Southwest region to implement a credit policy for the coconut industry chain. The program will pilot support for 2,700 households and 95 enterprises and cooperatives in Dong Thap, Vinh Long and Can Tho City, implemented from September to December 2025.
In Can Tho City, Cu Lao Dung and An Thanh communes, with a total coconut growing area of nearly 3,000 hectares, are the two localities selected by the Department of Agriculture and Environment to participate in the credit policy pilot.
To implement this pilot program, Mr. Phan Van Ba - Deputy Head of the Representative Office of Agribank in the Southwest region - said that the unit will accompany financial investment for farmers and coconut growing cooperatives.
Farmers and purchasing facilities will be supported with credit to invest in the production and implementation of coconut health care solutions, achieving high productivity and quality. In addition, farmers participating in the coconut material supply chain are also trained in planting and tree care techniques; creating transparent products of high quality and value. For businesses, credit support will be provided to create demand motivation and link sustainable coconut production.
