Dragon fruit prices plunge to below 30 cents a kilogram
Dragon fruit prices at the farm gate in the Central Highlands province of Lam Dong have plunged by 53-90% to VND2,000-7,000 (8-27 US cents), causing grief to farmers.
Dragon fruit prices have dropped to less than 30 cents per kilogram, causing financial strain for Vietnamese farmers. Ho Van Hoa, a local farmer, harvested three tons of the fruit on Tuesday, selling them for VND8.25 million. Traders purchased 1.5 tons for export to China at VND5,000 per kilogram, but only VND500 per kilogram for the rest.
Nguyen Si, another farmer, received VND7,000 per kilogram for export-grade fruit, which is the highest price in recent times but insufficient to cover his production costs of VND80 million. The harvest is part of the mid-Autumn and Lunar New Year crops, typically the most sought-after, but this year was a major disappointment. Prices were once VND17,000-20,000 per kilogram due to high demand from China ahead of its Mid-Autumn Festival and National Day.
Many farmers are considering switching to growing lotus or paddy if the losses continue. The Binh Thuan Dragon Fruit Association's chairman, Huynh Canh, attributes the price drop to an increased supply this season. China, traditionally a major export market, has also been producing more dragon fruit domestically. Vietnam exports dragon fruit to over 20 countries, including India, Thailand, and the UAE.
Written by urgent.news from VnExpress Business's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
