Durian farmers reap handsome profits as prices climb to new highs

CAN THO – Durian prices have rocketed to an all-time high of VND160,000 per kilogram this year, leading farmers to look forward to substantial profits. Speaking to The Saigon Times, Tran Tuan Tu, a durian merchant in the Mekong Delta province of Tien Giang, said that the Monthong durian variety is currently selling for VND160,000 per kilogram, VND25,000 higher than in early January. Traders are supplying the local market at prices VND15,000 higher than those at the farms, resulting in prices around VND115,000-125,000 per kilogram for the RI6 variety and VND175,000-180,000 per kilogram for the Monthong variety. This translates to profits of around VND290 million for Monthong and VND170-180 million for RI6, which is a significant profit in the current agriculture landscape. Vietnam’s 2023 durian export sales skyrocketed 4.8 times against 2022 to an astonishing US$2.3 billion in 2023, showed data of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.