Durian is still at the top

In the days before Tet, convoys of trucks carrying exported fruits continue to congregate at the northern border gates. According to the Management Board of the Dong Dang - Lang Son Border Gate Economic Zone (Lang Son province), on January 24, the number of vehicles with export goods cleared through customs was 471, including 308 fruit trucks and 163 other trucks. The number of export trucks is about 20 - 25% higher than normal days.

Domestically, traders are still tirelessly hunting for durian gardens that are in harvest, and many orchards are even willing to deposit money to buy young durian. Nguyen Duy Trung, a purchasing employee of a durian export company, offered: "My company accepts young Thai durian, just need to flower to buy. Early selling price is from 65,000 VND/kg or less, deposit 20 - 30%".

However, no matter how attractive the early sales offers are, it is difficult to sway garden owners at this time, because the price of off-season durian is increasing sharply. Ms. Nguyen Linh, a durian trader in Tien Giang province, confirmed that grade 1 Thai durian (Monthong) purchased at the garden is currently priced from 180,000 - 183,000 VND/kg, an increase of 25,000 VND/kg compared to the price in early January 2024; RI6 durian is priced at about 100,000 - 110,000 VND/kg, an increase of 15,000 - 20,000 VND/kg compared to the beginning of the month. This is the highest price since the beginning of 2024 and a record high for the same period last year.

Mr. Nguyen Phuoc Teo, owner of a durian garden in Cao Lanh District (Dong Thap), shared: "Last year, the price of off-season durian was about 78,000 VND/kg, at that time durian growers were very happy and had a big Tet holiday. But now traders are buying at the garden at a price twice as high as the same period last year, durian growers are harvesting and consider themselves to have the most magnificent Tet ever."

Speaking with Thanh Nien reporter, Mr. Dang Phuc Nguyen, General Secretary of the Vietnam Fruit and Vegetable Association, acknowledged: "It is true that the price of off-season durian in the Western provinces is currently increasing very high due to the high demand in China. This is a very good sign, predicting a year of continued record-breaking export turnover."

According to Mr. Dang Phuc Nguyen, in the same period last year, the fruit and vegetable industry had just regained its rhythm after the period when the Chinese market closed its borders to fight the Covid-19 epidemic, but at present, businesses have become familiar with the machine, so everything is more favorable. China's consumption demand increases during the period near Lunar New Year because this is the biggest festival season of the year, people in this country consider durian a precious gift to give, worship, and make offerings... At present, only durian from the West is harvested in the off-season, the output is limited, so the price is high. In addition, imported goods from Europe are also affected by the war in the Red Sea route, so they cannot reach the port on time for consumption during Tet, so the Chinese market has to increase imports from Vietnam and some Southeast Asian countries.

Limited supply, while the demand for export from warehouses and businesses is high, is the reason for pushing durian prices in the Mekong Delta to a record, helping durian farmers achieve very high profits. The estimated investment cost for a durian tree from the time of the previous harvest to the current harvest is about 1.5 million VND/tree, equivalent to 30 million VND/cong (1,000 ^m2 ). With a yield of about 2 tons/cong, farmers earn about 290 million VND/cong for the Monthong variety and 170 - 180 million VND/cong for the RI6 variety. This is a high profit level, very few crops can achieve at the present time.

Coffee and pepper benefit together

Both coffee and pepper prices have increased in early 2024, helping farmers prepare for a big Tet holiday. Currently, coffee prices are at 70,000 - 71,000 VND/kg, the highest in history.

Having just sold 6 tons of coffee beans for 71 million VND/ton, Ms. NTH (in Dak Ha District, Kon Tum) was excited: "The current selling price has increased by nearly 80% compared to the same period last year. If last year I had to find a source or bring it to an agent to sell, this year the establishments came to my house to buy. I planned to wait until after Tet to sell, but when I saw the unexpected payment, I decided to sell right away. My family earned 426 million VND, the highest income in many years. With the money I earned, I can reinvest in next year's crop and save up for a slightly bigger Tet holiday."

Similarly, Ms. THL (residing in Chu Se District, Gia Lai) shared her joy of this year's bumper crop because she had just sold coffee at a price of 70.8 million VND/ton. "When the harvest season began, the price of coffee was only 60,000 VND/kg, which was already a very high price, so everyone competed to sell, even selling early for fear that the price would drop during the main season. But no one expected that at this time, the price of coffee would still increase, contrary to the general trend of many years. I sold late, but it turned out to be more profitable," Ms. L. boasted.

Not only farmers in Kon Tum and Gia Lai, but also in Dak Lak and Lam Dong, the Departments of Agriculture and Rural Development also said that this year's coffee crop, with an average selling price of 65,000 VND/kg of beans, each hectare of local farmers earned 180 - 300 million VND (depending on the age of the tree), after deducting expenses, the profit was 120 - 200 million VND, an increase of 60 - 80 million VND compared to 2022.

Previously, pepper and chili farmers also enjoyed the joy of price increases. Mr. Nguyen Tan (residing in Ba Ria-Vung Tau) said: "Pepper prices have been low for the past few years, making pepper growers discouraged, but this year pepper prices have increased sharply since mid-year and increased sharply to 90,000 VND/kg, then returned to the current level of 80,000 - 82,000 VND/kg. With this price, pepper growers have increased their profits by nearly 50%, this Tet will definitely be more prosperous than previous years."