Why Durians Can Cost as Little as $1 per Kilogram: Unveiling the Secrets

Numerous sellers are offering durians that were rejected during export quality checks at a rate of VND30,000 ($1.15 USD) per kilogram, marking the cheapest price in a decade.

They are appearing along the roadsides in Can Tho City and Hau Giang Province within the Mekong Delta area, displaying signs that offer the fruit for extremely low prices.

Traders are currently offering VND50,000-75,000 at the farmgate level.

Durations spotted at a farm in Can Tho City. Image courtesy of VnExpress/Manh Khuong

According to industry experts, these affordable fruits frequently drop from the trees before they are ripe because of rainfall or strong winds, and as such, they tend to be turned down by export firms.

Nguyen Dinh Tung, the CEO of Vina T&T—a key player in exports—stated that his firm is

buying durian

At VND50,000 per kilogram, and with fruits priced at VND30,000, meeting export criteria becomes very improbable.

Hoang, a farmer from Tien Giang Province, recently sold all his durians for VND43,000 per kilogram, though he mentioned that his harvest had decreased by 30% because of poor weather conditions.

Hung, a farmer from Can Tho, similarly experienced a decrease of 20% in his yield.

He stated, “Every farm I’m aware of experienced yield reductions ranging from 20% to 40%. As such, prices can’t drop significantly.”

Ngoc Diem, who offers fruits at discounted prices, informs her customers that although her produce dropped from the trees before fully ripening, it can still be utilized for cooking purposes.

However, Manh Khuong, a trader, cautions individuals not to purchase extremely inexpensive fruits, even if they seem fine, as there is no assurance that their flesh is safe for consumption.