Farmers in Giồng Trôm District, Bến Tre Province, are happy to see higher coconut prices as the trees are recovering from the effects of saltwater intrusion. This means they have more funds to invest in coconut tree care.
For over four years, coconut prices in Bến Tre remained low, rarely surpassing 100,000 VND per dozen. Recently, prices have rebounded, bringing joy to farmers like Ms. Nguyễn Thị Ánh from Châu Bình, Giồng Trôm District. Ms. Ánh shared that she recently harvested over 1,000 coconuts from her 8,000 square-meter farm, selling them at 110,000 VND per dozen (excluding picking and collection costs). The previous month, she had sold her harvest at only 75,000 VND per dozen.
With the current prices, farmers can afford to invest in fertilizers for their coconut trees, which have been weakened by saltwater intrusion, resulting in reduced yield. Maintaining prices above 100,000 VND per dozen will lead to more stable incomes for farmers.
Mr. Nguyễn Văn Tài, from Bình Hòa, Giồng Trôm District, shared that with the increase in coconut prices, he could hire laborers to apply silt to the roots of the trees, providing them with additional nutrients. In the past few years, due to low coconut prices and insufficient income, Mr. Tài had no budget for silt application or adequate fertilization, which affected the productivity of his trees.
According to Mr. Tài, each hectare of coconuts requires 30-40 million VND annually for fertilization and silt application to ensure healthy tree growth and high yields. However, when coconut prices are low, farmers often struggle to afford proper tree care. With the recent price increase, Mr. Tài’s family has a better income and can invest more in their coconut garden, helping the trees withstand potential future saltwater intrusion. Currently, each hectare of coconuts generates an income of 13-16 million VND per month.
Coconut buyers attribute the price increase to reduced supply due to the impact of drought and saltwater intrusion, as well as increased demand from manufacturing plants. Prices vary depending on the quality of the coconuts and the region. High-quality coconuts from areas like Châu Bình, Châu Hòa in Giồng Trôm District and southern communes of Mỏ Cày Nam District are priced at 110,000-120,000 VND per dozen (excluding harvesting costs), while coconuts from other areas are sold at 10,000-20,000 VND lower per dozen.
Mr. Huỳnh Quang Đức, Deputy Director of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of Bến Tre Province, stated that the province has over 78,000 hectares of coconuts, mainly for dry coconut production. The department is focusing on supporting businesses in registering planting area codes to facilitate the official export of coconuts to the Chinese market once the agreement is finalized. Mr. Đức believes that official exports to China will provide a vast market for the coconut industry, leading to more stable prices in the future.
Additionally, authorities are encouraging farmers to join cooperatives or associations to establish direct links with purchasing companies, ensuring stable output and potentially higher prices than the market rate. Farmers are also encouraged to adopt organic coconut production practices to establish direct links with purchasing companies, potentially increasing prices and creating a sustainable path for the coconut industry.
