Durian prices shoot up amid shortage

Traders are buying Monthong durian in Tien Giang Province in the Mekong Delta region for up to VND200,000 (US$7.85) per kilogram, up 54% from the end of last month, according to Phap Luat newspaper.

High exports demand explains the surge in prices, they said.

Dang Phuc Nguyen, general secretary of the Vietnam Fruits & Vegetables Association, said that China’s demand for durian during the upcoming Lunar New Year holiday is high.

Most durian farms in the Mekong Delta region have sold out, and Vietnam is the only durian producing market left as Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines have all run out of fresh durian.

He estimated that there are $100 million worth of durian during the current off-season, which began last month and will end in March.

The figure is equivalent to around a quarter of main season yield.

Some other durian varieties have also seen price hikes. Ri6 are sold at up to VND135,000 per kilogram, up 59% from last month.

Tien Giang has nearly 21,800 hectares of durian farm with a combined capacity of 386,700 tons a year.

Vietnam's fruits and vegetables exports, driven by durian, reached a new record of $7.2 billion this year, according to government estimates.