At traditional markets in Can Tho City such as Xuan Khanh, Tan An, Ba Bo... durian only appeared sporadically at some stalls because the season in the West is over.
Currently, durian is being sold at the market for 40,000 - 80,000 VND/kg, while at stores it is 90,000 - 160,000 VND/kg, depending on the type. According to traders, most durian is imported from the Central Highlands provinces, and the price has now decreased by about half compared to the same period last year.
At the fruit stall at Xuan Khanh market of Ms. Nguyen Thi Tu (Ninh Kieu district, Can Tho city), the price of durian has decreased by about 20,000 - 40,000 VND/kg compared to nearly 2 months ago.
"I import goods from Dak Lak to sell. Because it has been raining for the past few days, the fruit is dry and mushy, so the purchase price at the garden is also cheap, from 30,000 - 35,000 VND/kg. Therefore, when transporting to Can Tho, the price also decreases by tens of thousands of VND," said Ms. Tu.
Despite the cheap prices, Ms. Nguyen Hong Nhung - a trader at My Khanh market (Can Tho city) - has reduced the amount of imported goods because she is afraid of holding on to the goods.
"Durian is now sold all year round, but the price is slightly higher depending on the time. Compared to 3-4 months ago, purchasing power at the store has decreased by 20%. The amount purchased is small, combined with the low quality of the imported fruit. I'm afraid it will spoil, so I've reduced the amount of imported goods," said Ms. Nhung.
According to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD), the country's durian area has increased dramatically from 32,000 hectares in 2015 to more than 150,000 hectares in 2023. This area has doubled the durian development orientation (about 65,000 - 75,000 hectares, output 830,000 - 950,000 tons) in the Project on Developing Key Fruit Trees to 2025 and 2030.
The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development recommends that localities need to develop plans to develop durian production in concentrated areas, not expanding the area, especially in areas with unsuitable soil, no conditions for intensive investment, areas without closed dykes, and dykes that are not guaranteed to cause flooding during the rainy season and saltwater intrusion during the dry season in the Mekong Delta region.
