Prices fluctuate sharply, gardeners gradually lose their advantage
At the end of January 2026, Mr. Huynh Thanh Le - Director of Trinh Loi Agricultural Cooperative (Dai Hai commune, Can Tho city) said that he had just finished harvesting the first phase of the early durian crop.
According to Mr. Le, at the beginning of December 2025, at the peak of the first season, the price of durian was around 110,000 VND/kg, but after just over 2 weeks it sharply decreased, sometimes falling to 65,000 VND/kg. After that, the price slightly increased back to 90,000 VND/kg. Fearing that the price would continue to fall deeply, he decided to receive deposits from traders to "finalize" this price level to reduce risks. "Never before has the price of durian fluctuated as strongly as in 2025 and early 2026. Prices rise slowly, but when falling, they can fall 20,000 - 30,000 VND," Mr. Le commented.
In the peak period at the beginning of the 2022 - 2023 crop, durian prices once jumped to 190,000 - 220,000 VND/kg; at the beginning of the 2024 crop, they still maintained at 145,000 - 165,000 VND/kg. Meanwhile, at the beginning of this crop, prices just increased and quickly decreased.
In Dong Thap province, Mr. Le Van Phuoc Lac - Director of Phu An Agricultural Service Cooperative (Binh Phu commune) - said that the cooperative currently has 410ha of durian that have been granted planting area codes for export. The purchase price of Ri6 durian at the beginning of the season in December 2025 at the garden is about 40,000 VND/kg, while Thai durian is about 80,000 VND/kg.
Not only durian, many other fruits also fall into a precarious output situation. Mr. Cao Minh Phuc - a member of Phu An Agricultural Service Cooperative - said that his family has 4,000m2 of jackfruit cultivation. The fact that Vietnam and China signed a Protocol on exporting fresh jackfruit brings many expectations, but the joy is still not complete.
The output still largely depends on purchasing businesses. Many units do business in the style of traders, not signing long-term consumption contracts. When the market is favorable, they come, and when difficult, they are willing to refuse," Mr. Phuc said.
Planning for fruit to reach far
According to Dr. Tran Huu Hiep - an economic and agricultural expert - the Mekong Delta owns many large-scale specialized farming areas, and many types of fruits have conquered demanding markets such as the US, EU, Japan, Korea and China. However, overall, the region's fruit export turnover is still much lower than its potential, not commensurate with its role as a "national fruit granary".
Dr. Hiep believes that the paradox of "large output, low value" reflects the fundamental bottlenecks in the development model. When Mekong Delta fruits have integrated into the global market, small-scale production is no longer suitable; cooperatives are not strong enough to lead linkages, making it difficult for businesses to sign long-term contracts, and farmers are vulnerable to market fluctuations.
According to Mr. Su Quoc Loc, Director of Loc Mai Agricultural Cooperative - since 2018, star apples of the cooperative have had "passports" for export to the US. Thanks to linking with businesses, the profit per hectare has increased by 200 - 300 million VND compared to before. To meet export requirements, 33 cooperative members apply synchronous technical procedures, reduce chemical fertilizers, and increase the use of organic fertilizers and biological products. Currently, the cooperative has 33ha meeting VietGAP standards, and this year's yield is 25 - 30 tons/ha.
According to Mr. Tran Phuoc Son - Director of the Cooperative, production according to GlobalGAP is more difficult, but is guaranteed by businesses at high prices, helping farmers increase profits.
The Department of Agriculture and Environment of Can Tho City said that in 2025, the area of fruit trees in the whole city reached over 100,000ha, with an output of more than 1.2 million tons. Most of the output is still consumed through traders who buy at the garden.
In addition, 194 cooperatives, cooperative groups and clubs have been formed on an area of over 2,300ha; there are 42 enterprises linked to produce and consume fruit for export with a scale of over 6,000ha. To date, 477 planting area codes have been issued, creating a foundation for raw material area management, traceability and official export.
Mr. Nguyen Dinh Muoi - Deputy General Director of Vina T&T Import-Export Trading and Service Co., Ltd. said that in the past time, the enterprise has linked with cooperatives in Can Tho to build areas for growing longan, mangoes, star apples for export to the US, Europe, Australia and many other markets. Difficult markets all require GlobalGAP standards. If they meet well, Can Tho fruits will continue to reach further.
Dr. Tran Huu Hiep - an economic and agricultural expert believes that, for Mekong Delta fruits to truly "reach out to the big sea", it is necessary to promote close links between growing areas - cooperatives - businesses - logistics - markets. In which, cooperatives must be elevated to a substantial level, becoming a focal point for organizing production according to orders and standards of each export market; The State plays a constructive role, supporting institutions, credit, training and market information. Investing in synchronous agricultural logistics from cold storage, packaging centers to specialized transportation associated with raw material area planning will help reduce costs, enhance competitiveness and limit congestion during the peak season, creating a "lever" for Mekong Delta fruits to participate more deeply in the global value chain.
