In 2023, durian is the fruit that brings in a large amount of foreign currency for Vietnam. Preliminary results for the first 7 months of 2024 show that durian exports reached over 3.8 billion USD, an increase of 23.4% over the same period last year.

If durian is known as the "king" of fruits, then Musang King durian is the "king" of durians. Musang King durian is flat, has small seeds, soft, fatty flesh and is sweet and fragrant. The fruit weighs 1 - 4 kg. The skin is dark green and has very large thorns. This type is characterized by a groove between the stem and the body, the bottom of the fruit clearly shows 5 large and thick segments.

Musang King originated from Malaysia. In recent years, in addition to frozen durian, Musang King has also grown whole durian in Vietnam. This fruit has been tested by people in the Central Highlands and Mekong Delta and has been bearing fruit for 4 years now. The Central Highlands is the largest durian growing region in the country.

In growing areas such as Dak Lak, the wholesale purchase price of Musang King durian type A (from 1.6 kg - 3.5 kg) is only at 86,000 - 92,000 VND/kg, down about 50%. Type B goods (1.3 kg - 4 kg) are purchased at 65,000 - 70,000 VND/kg.

Abundant supply is the reason why the price of Mumaking durian has dropped sharply. Illustrative photo

This purchase price is even lower than Monthong durian (also known as Thai durian).

When it was first introduced to Vietnam, each kilogram of frozen Musang King durian pulp cost between 1.4 and 1.8 million VND, many times more than domestic durian. Despite its high price, this famous durian is still sought after but is not always available.

But after a while, the price of Musang King started to decrease gradually, but still remained high. Each kilogram of ripe durian costs 800,000 - 900,000 VND, making many people think twice before deciding to buy.

However, recently, Musang King durian has suddenly become popular and has a super cheap price. At fruit stores and online markets, consumers can easily find Musang King durian for only 99,000 - 160,000 VND/kg. Some places even sell it at a cheaper price than popular durian varieties such as Ri6 and Monthong.

The owner of a fresh fruit shop in Dai La (Hanoi) admitted that the price of Musang King durian is cheaper than ever. At this time last year, they imported this type of durian for 455,000 VND/kg but there was still no stock. This year, the output is high, imported for sale at only 120,000 - 150,000 VND/kg and it is always available. Meanwhile, the price of both Ri6 and Monthong durians is 170,000 VND/kg, more expensive than Musang King durian.

At present, the price of this fruit has passed its fever and is plummeting. The dealers are selling whole fruits for only 99,000 - 160,000 VND/kg. This price has decreased nearly 3 times compared to the same period last year, even cheaper than the popular products Ri 6 and Monthong (170,000 VND/kg). This is unprecedented in the market.

Explaining the sharp drop in the price of "king" durian, a major trader said that Musang King grown in Vietnam has a sharp drop in price due to low quality, the flesh is too sweet and easily boring.

In particular, this fruit when grown in Vietnam has the lowest yield. In particular, without proper care, this fruit is prone to becoming dry or bland when exposed to rain. Therefore, the dealers have to lower the price to the same level as other varieties, or even lower if the appearance is poor.

When asked about the above phenomenon, the seller said that there were many reasons for the sharp drop in the price of Musang King durian. First, it was due to the increasingly abundant supply. Many gardeners have succeeded in growing and propagating Musang King durian, helping to increase production and stabilize supply.

Second, there is competition between gardeners and distributors. Finally, the emergence of many Musang King gardens across the country has contributed to diversifying supply sources and reducing product costs.

The supply of Musang King is abundant this year, so the price has cooled down sharply. In previous years, they only imported a few dozen kilograms or nearly 100 kg per shipment. This year, they can import several hundred kilograms or a ton at a time.

Faced with the fact that the durian variety once considered the most expensive in the world is now falling in price, Mr. Vu Duc Con - Deputy Director of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of Dak Lak said that the area of ​​Musang King cultivation in Vietnam is very small, mainly spontaneous, and difficult to link output. This durian variety is best harvested from the 10th year, while in Vietnam, trees are mainly sold commercially after 4-7 years, so the quality is not stable.

Musang King is a high-end durian variety of Malaysia, a difficult variety to grow, so it must be cultivated separately to have stable productivity. Therefore, according to Mr. Con, it is necessary to study areas with favorable conditions for growing Musang King. From there, authorities will guide, forecast and plan growing areas, optimizing production and consumption management.

Mr. Dang Phuc Nguyen, General Secretary of the Vietnam Fruit and Vegetable Association, also acknowledged that currently, farmers' techniques for growing and caring for Musang King durian are not as advanced as those in Malaysia, leading to product quality not being as expected.

Therefore, gardeners and businesses can learn and apply technical processes from other countries to create high-quality durian and diversify products on the market.

From a market research perspective, Mr. Nguyen also sees that the durian industry still has a lot of room to grow, so when the process is improved and there are suitable cultivation areas, Musang King or Black Thorn still have many market opportunities.

Currently, the supply of Musang King durian is abundant, so the price must be continuously reduced to push the goods. In addition, in mid-July, due to the influence of heavy rain, Musang King durian pulp was defective, the quality was not good, so the price also decreased.

With Musang King durians deeply discounted, customers have many opportunities to enjoy the king of durians at affordable prices. However, to ensure product quality, consumers are advised to buy durians at reputable stores with clear origins.