Durians are sold at low prices on a roadside in Tien Giang Province. Photo by Plo
As of early May 2025, durian prices had fallen significantly across provinces in the Mekong Delta, yet market demand remained sluggish. With limited access to buyers, many orchard owners have taken to selling their harvest directly.
The primary harvest season is underway in Can Tho City. However, compared to 2024, local farmers say this year's sales and prices are proving far more difficult.
Nguyen Dac Hung, a grower in Phong Dien District, Can Tho, said his durians are high in quality and yield, but finding buyers has been a major challenge. Export companies offer relatively low prices, with grade A Ri6 durians fetching only VND50,000-51,000 (about USD 2) per kilo and grade B just VND30,000-31,000.
"If the fruit meets high standards, exporters will buy it all. If not, we're left to sell to local traders," Hung said. "Prices from traders now range from VND30,000 to 43,000 depending on quality and appearance."
Nguyen Van Trieu, a farmer in Phu An Commune, Cai Lay District, Tien Giang Province, owns over 2,000 square metres of durian orchard. He said traders used to come directly to his farm to buy, but not anymore. With prices too low, he had to hire workers to harvest the fruit and transport it to wholesale markets himself. Still, about 60 percent of his durian crop remains unsold.
Le Van Phuoc Lac, Director of Phu An Agricultural Services Co-operative, said the co-operative has 105 members and over 100 hectares of durian. He noted that recent reports of cadmium contamination in some export shipments have led major markets, including China, to tighten import inspections, severely impacting domestic prices.
Currently, durian purchased at the orchard goes for around VND50,000 per kilo. With prices falling and traders not coming to collect, many farmers are setting up roadside stalls or taking their durians to local markets for direct sale," Lac said.
According to the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development in Tien Giang Province, the local durian-growing area now spans approximately 22,000 hectares, mainly concentrated in Cai Be and Cai Lay districts.
In Can Tho City, durian cultivation has nearly tripled over the past three years, from about 2,500 hectares in 2022 to around 7,000 hectares currently. The fruit is now grown in key fruit-producing districts such as Phong Dien, Thoi Lai, parts of Co Do District, and O Mon District.
