Sau rieng’s harvest season in Mr. Tran Van Song’s garden in Ngu Hiep commune (Cai Lay, Tien Giang).
Farmer Nguyen Van Chinh in Cam Son commune, Cai Lay district said that he has just sold about 4 tons of Ri6 durian to traders at the price of 130,000 VND/kg, earning 520 million VND. According to Mr. Chinh, durian prices have been increasing significantly in the days leading up to Tet, bringing large profits to farmers compared to previous years. However, Mr. Nguyen Van Chinh also predicted that the domestic supply is not abundant while the market demand, both domestic and export, is very high.
Director of Ngu Hiep Durian Cooperative (Cai Lay district), Mr. Huynh Tan Loc, shared that in recent days, traders have been purchasing Mong Thong durian at the garden for 160,000 – 170,000 VND/kg, Ri6 durian also has a price range from 125,000 – 135,000 VND/kg, the highest ever and nearly triple compared to the same period last year.
According to the reporter of Vietnam News Agency, with this price, each hectare of durian harvested at this time brings farmers a net profit of 1.2 – 1.5 billion VND.
Director of Ngu Hiep Durian Cooperative, Mr. Huynh Tan Loc evaluates that the steep rise in durian prices during the days leading up to Tet is due to it being one of the important agricultural export products of the country in general and Tien Giang province in particular. Especially, durian is accepted for official export to China and many countries around the world, bringing joy to durian farmers.
According to the Director of Ngu Hiep Durian Cooperative, being officially exported is an advantage that helps durian become the highest-income crop with competitive advantages in the local area. Therefore, there is still much potential for development that needs to be exploited by all levels, sectors, and export units to promote the sustainable development of durian specialized cultivation areas, promote agricultural, farmer and rural renewal, and improve people’s livelihoods.
Director of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of Tien Giang province, Mr. Nguyen Van Man, said that the province currently has more than 20,000 hectares of durian dedicated cultivation areas, concentrated in flood controlled districts and towns in the West: Cai Lay, Cai Be, Cai Lay town, Chau Thanh… with an annual output of about 300,000 tons of fruits.
According to the Director of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of Tien Giang province, in an effort to take advantage of the opportunity of durian being officially exported to China and markets in other countries, Tien Giang is interested in establishing a cultivation area code and a packaging facility code to serve official fruit exports to markets in general.
Currently, the province has 72 durian cultivation area codes with a total area of over 2,600 hectares and 66 packaging facility codes granted for official export to China.
The Director of the Department of Industry and Trade of Tien Giang province, Mr. Luu Van Phi, shared that to promote the potential and advantages of the agricultural export industry, the Department of Industry and Trade of Tien Giang province is closely coordinating with the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development and other relevant departments to urgently complete the necessary procedures to establish records for being granted packaging facility codes and cultivation area codes for official exports of fruits to the Chinese market and some other countries. The locality aims to have 100% of the area planted with specialty fruits granted cultivation area codes for official exports by 2025 to attract foreign currency for further investment and development.
In addition, Tien Giang also focuses on transferring intensive cultivation techniques, encouraging farmers to apply a set of scientific measures to achieve high productivity and output. Especially, it is important to arrange harvest time during the off-season in the year to avoid mass harvest during the peak season, reducing the risk of seasonal glut and price decline.
Normally, around April or May each year, farmers will carry out off-season management of durian orchards and start harvesting from November onwards. At this time, durian prices are high, and farmers earn high profits.
The Director of the Department of Industry and Trade of Tien Giang province, Mr. Luu Van Phi, assessed that thanks to effective export management solutions and efforts to promote strong export growth in January 2024, the province has successfully solved the key agricultural product outlets such as rice, fruits, and aquaculture, achieving extremely favorable conditions, high prices, and large profits for farmers.
Thus, in January 2024, Tien Giang exported more than 1,200 tons of various types of fruits and vegetables, with an export turnover of about 3 million USD, an increase of more than 71% in quantity and more than 107% in value compared to the same period.
In the coming time, the Department of Industry and Trade of Tien Giang province will continue to grasp and timely update the export situation, especially at key border gates such as Quang Ninh, Lang Son, Cao Bang, Ha Giang, to provide information to businesses and cooperatives. From there, it will boost the export of agricultural products, contribute to solving the outlets for fruits in general, and specific Tien Giang specialty durian in particular.
This activity also helps farmers in specialized cultivation areas feel secure in organizing production, intensive cultivation to produce high-quality agricultural commodities, ensuring food safety and meeting export standards. Especially in the coming months of March and April, durian farmers in Tien Giang specialized cultivation areas will start a new harvest season with the expectation of a bumper crop and high profits.
