Jung village has prospered through effective durian cultivation (Photo: Truong Nguyen).
A spacious 200-square-metre villa, valued at around VND2.5 billion (USD 96,000), owned by H'Pil Nie, 58, in Jung Village, is the result of years of growing durian.
"Thanks to the high price of durian, my family was finally able to build this house and buy all the household necessities we need. Before that, our family of five lived in a simple stilt house and struggled to make ends meet," she said.
A VND 2.5 billion, or about USD 96,000, house owned by a household in Jung village (Photo: Truong Nguyen).
Her neighbour, Y Thom Nie, 51, said his family's financial situation improved dramatically after harvesting 120 tonnes of durian five years ago.
"At that time, durian prices rose to more than VND 85,000 (about USD 3.30) per kilo. We earned a substantial income, which allowed us to buy more farmland, build a new house, purchase a truck and a car, and invest in our children's education," he said.
Durian cultivation has brought greater prosperity to many farmers (Illustrative photo: Truong Nguyen).
According to Y Thom Nie, his family previously earned a living by caring for coffee plantations owned by a local agricultural company. In 2004, when the company introduced intercropping durian with coffee, he began learning cultivation techniques and gradually shifted to the higher-value crop.
His family now cultivates 2.5 hectares of durian for export.
"In the past, sales were small-scale. Today, Vietnamese durian is being sold in many major international markets," he said.
Y Thom Nie said his family's finances had steadily improved thanks to the fruits of labour on his home soil (Photo: Truong Nguyen).
Y Bler Ayun, head of Jung Village, said the community has 597 households, most of whom rely on agriculture. Many families have successfully switched to more suitable crops, particularly coffee and durian, significantly improving their standard of living.
"What makes me happiest is seeing villagers support one another in developing their livelihoods. Children in the village are receiving proper education, and people's lives continue to improve," he said.
Lai Duc Dai, Chairman of the People's Committee of Krong Pak Commune, said the area benefits from fertile basalt soil and favourable climatic conditions for durian cultivation. The commune now has more than 3,000 hectares of durian, with fruit quality increasingly recognised in both domestic and international markets.
According to the Vietnam Customs Department, Vietnam exported nearly USD 1.1 billion worth of durian in the first six months of this year, an increase of 32 per cent compared with the same period in 2025.