Why are some durians sold for just $1 per kilogram?

They are showing up at the roadside in Can Tho City and Hau Giang Province in the Mekong Delta region with signs offering the fruit at dirt-cheap prices.

Traders are paying VND50,000-75,000 at the farm gate now.

Durians seen on a farm in Can Tho City. Photo by VnExpress/Manh Khuong

Industry insiders said these cheap fruits often fell prematurely from trees due to rain or wind, and usually rejected by exporting companies.

Nguyen Dinh Tung, CEO of Vina T&T, a major exporter, said his company is buying durian at VND50,000 per kilogram, and fruits sold at VND30,000 are highly unlikely to meet export standards.

Hoang, a farmer in Tien Giang Province, sold all his durian recently at VND43,000 per kilogram, but said his yield was 30% down due to unfavorable weather.

Hung, a farmer in Can Tho, also saw output fall by 20%.

He said: "All farms I know saw yields decline by 20-40%. Prices therefore cannot go too low."

Ngoc Diem, who sells the fruit at cheap prices, tells her customers that though her fruits fell prematurely off trees, they can be used for cooking.

But Manh Khuong, a trader, warns people against buying very low-priced fruits even if they appear normal since there is no guarantee their meat is consumable.