Mekong Delta durian, from price drop to sustainable strategy building problem

Low-priced retail on routes

These days, along the gateway roads to the center of Can Tho City, it is not difficult to see "food-for-eat durian" signs with prices ranging from only 30,000 - 40,000 VND/kg. One thing that traders clearly told us is that this price is for low-grade Ri6 durian, which does not meet export quality. As for type 1 durian, round and beautiful, with yellow pulp and empty seeds, the price ranges from 60,000 - 70,000 VND/kg.

However, the above price is still much lower than at the beginning of the season and the same period of previous years, because at times the retail price is up to 100,000 - 120,000 VND/kg. Thus, once a "luxury" fruit, now durian is no different from ordinary fruit in the Mekong Delta.

Mr. Huynh Tuan Kiet (trader and garden owner in Can Tho City) - informed that the purchase price at the garden is currently only around 30,000 VND/kg, which is a "turn of course", this price level makes many gardeners lose money because the investment cost for this type of tree is extremely large.

Ms. Phan Thi Mai (garden owner, long-time durian trader on National Highway 61C) - said that at the same time last year, beautiful goods at the garden were priced at 40,000 - 50,000 VND/kg, now it has decreased by nearly half, so the family is forced to bring them out for retail sale to reduce pressure. Currently, Ms. Mai's family combines additional solutions of selling to traders, selling at markets, wholesale delivery and self-packing goods to send to other places.

The reason for the price "shock" was not outside of previous forecasts. According to experts, Mekong Delta durian is entering the peak harvest season, while the export market is showing signs of stagnation as purchasing warehouses tighten quality standards and control preservative residues. The amount of goods that cannot be exported is forced to turn to domestic consumption, causing oversupply.

Notably, Lao Dong Newspaper has had many articles warning about the "storm" of spontaneous durian cultivation in the Mekong Delta, even on rice land. This is likely to lead to record output, exceeding quality control and market regulation.

Need fundamental solutions

In the immediate future, localities in the Mekong Delta are implementing many solutions from techniques to managing the durian industry. In Dong Thap, under pressure that more than 111,000 tons of durian are about to be harvested in May and June, the Provincial People's Committee has requested the agricultural sector to urgently review the planting area code and tighten the quality control process, especially the indicators for Cadmium and Gold O to clear the export flow.

Experts believe that Can Tho gardeners need to promote solutions to shift the focus of harvesting to the period from November to March of the following year (season). Along with that, the agricultural sector recommends that people optimize investment costs to make profits even when prices are low, form concentrated growing areas on a scale of over 10ha to minimize spontaneous situations.

In the long term, Master Nguyen Phuoc Tuyen - former Director of the Dong Thap Provincial Agricultural Extension Center - said that striving to collect billions of USD from durian must be treated commensurate with the value of this fruit, meaning that it is impossible to just collect it without planning for farmers. It is time for a sustainable strategy, a close combination of management of planting area codes, off-season production and raising people's awareness, so that Mekong Delta durian no longer has to struggle with the refrain of bumper crops but falling prices.