This steep drop has left many orchard owners facing significant financial losses, while hundreds of tons of unsold mangoes risk spoilage if not consumed in time.
According to local growers, prices for Australian mangoes in Cam Thanh Bac Commune are now just one-fifth of what they were during the same period last year. Vo Xuan Hien, a grower with 1.7 hectares of mangoes and roughly four tons of fruit still on the trees, revealed he had invested nearly VND100 million into this season’s crop. “At the current price, I’ll be losing at least VND30 million,” he said. “Even harvesting costs money, so I’ve left the fruit hanging.”
Last year, grade-1 Australian mangoes in Cam Lam fetched between VND18,000–20,000/kg, while grade-2 varieties sold for VND10,000–12,000/kg. Lower grades went for a minimum of VND5,000/kg. This year, however, buyers are no longer classifying the fruit, and all types are being bought at the uniform rate of VND3,000–4,000/kg. Compounding the issue, unfavorable weather conditions have led to poor fruit setting and reduced yields, while major buyers have scaled back procurement.
Mr. Le Thanh Van, Chairman of the Cam Lam Farmers’ Union, stated that the district currently has around 1,800 tons of Australian mangoes awaiting harvest with no viable buyers. “Even if prices rebound slightly, the increase is only VND1,000–2,000/kg—still well below production costs,” he noted.
The main factor behind the price collapse is believed to be reduced demand from China, traditionally the key export market for Cam Lam’s Australian mangoes. China has significantly expanded its own mango cultivation, dampening the need for imports. Simultaneously, Cam Lam mangoes face growing competition in both price and quality from other domestic regions and neighboring countries.
In response, the Cam Lam District People's Committee has called on the Khanh Hoa provincial government and relevant agencies to help connect growers with retailers, supermarket chains, and wholesale markets across the country.
Some private enterprises have also begun looking for alternative solutions. Mr. Dang The Truyen, Director of Camlamonline Co., Ltd., said his company is working with frozen fruit processors in Southern Vietnam to purchase mangoes for value-added processing.
“We are also developing agro-tourism initiatives to bring visitors to the orchards and introduce them to Australian mango-based products,” he said, adding that such efforts aim to boost the profile of local agricultural products.
Cam Lam is home to roughly 7,000 hectares of mango orchards, including 4,000 hectares dedicated to Australian mangoes, making it one of the largest mango-growing areas in the South Central Coast.
