$1.2 durians flood HCMC sidewalks

Earlier this week at a stall on Nguyen Huu Canh Street in Binh Thanh District, a customer named Yen said she bought two durians earlier this week after noticing the extremely low prices.

The fruit had cost VND150,000-200,000 per kilogram a few months ago.

After tasting them on the spot, she found that the durians were sweet and fragrant but with large seeds and little flesh that was mushy.

But at many of these street stalls, the low-priced durians appeared unattractive and were placed in a corner, according to Nguoi Lao Dong newspaper.

They were small in size, had cracks on their skins and were held together by rubber bands to prevent them from splitting open.

Meanwhile, intact and plump durians were sold at higher prices and usually displayed in a separate section.

But even good-quality durians are fetching less than last year.

Nguyen Van Linh, a durian street vendor in Phu Nhuan District who sold nearly 400 kilograms of the fruit for VND60,000-85,000 per kilogram last week, said prices are 30-35% lower than a year ago.

"This year farmers have brought more [durian] to the market, and so prices have become more reasonable."

Most of the durians currently sold in the market come from the Central Highlands, primarily Dak Lak and Gia Lai provinces, where the harvest is usually done between mid-July and October.

In an interview with HCMC-based newspaper Phap Luat Online, Vu Duc Con, chairman of the Dak Lak Durian Association, said many local farmers are struggling with underdeveloped and water-soaked durians due to prolonged rainfall at the start of the season.

These inferior fruits are typically processed or sold whole at much lower prices than good-quality ones.

Prices have also decreased in recent months as supply has shot up during the peak harvest season, Con explained.

Most of the cheap durians sold on sidewalks in HCMC are fruits that do not meet export standards, Tuoi Tre newspaper reported.

Pham Van Bao, who has been selling durians on Go Vap District’s Phan Van Tri Street for nearly 17 years, said some of them taste just fine but are cheap due to their appearance.

But he advised consumers to exercise caution when buying them since their quality is inconsistent.

Vietnam has around 151,000 hectares under durian, with the Central Highlands accounting for half of it. Other large growing areas include the southeast and the Mekong Delta regions with 25,000 ha and 42,000 ha.