In many dragon fruit growing areas in Binh Thuan, Tien Giang, Long An provinces, the price of type 1 (highest quality) dragon fruit is over VND40,000 a kg while type 2 fruit is priced at VND35,000 - VND38,000 a kg and type 3 is from VND30,000 - VND33,000 a kg, an increase from VND10,000 - VND15,000 a kg against March.
At this price, farmers earn a profit of nearly VND20,000 per kg. However, due to the effects of drought and lack of water, they have harvested less dragon fruits.
In the domestic consumer market, dragon fruit prices are also increasing 3 times higher than normal. According to the Management Board of Binh Dien Agricultural Wholesale Market in Ho Chi Minh City, the price of dragon fruit from the Mekong Delta Province of Long An is from VND25,000 - VND30,000 per kg while dragon fruits grown in Binh Thuan Province fetch from VND30,000 - VND37,000 per kg.
Explaining the reason for this growth, General Secretary Dang Phuc Nguyen of the Vietnam Fruit and Vegetable Association (Vina Fruit), said that normally from December to April, China promotes the import of dragon fruits to satisfy domestic consumption demand. In particular, in the first quarter of 2024, Chinese people often buy dragon fruit to display during the Lunar New Year and the traditional Chinese Qingming Festival pushing up the price of Vietnamese dragon fruit.
Furthermore, because dragon fruit prices dropped sharply in 2023, many gardeners have switched to growing other crops such as durian, and jackfruit; as a consequence, the growing area of dragon fruit across the country also tends to shrink . Worse, dragon fruit growers nationwide have been facing salinity and drought, causing dragon fruit yield to decline.
Currently, in addition to the Chinese market, Vietnamese dragon fruit is also exported to many other markets such as Thailand, Cambodia, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, and South Korea.
Meanwhile, coffee prices are also increasing dramatically. For instance, the price of Robusta coffee on the London exchange for next month's delivery increased sharply by US$98 reaching $4,225 a ton. However, it decreased slightly by $16 to $4,117 per ton for the July 2024 delivery.
Domestically, the coffee market on April 24 increased by VND2,500 a kg compared to the previous day boosting the price of this agricultural product to VND130,000 a kg- an unprecedented record level.
Specifically, in Lam Dong Province, it was traded at VND 129,300 a kg while it was at VND130,500; VND130,500 and VND129,500 a kg in Dak Lak, Dak Nong and Gia Lai provinces respectively.
Although some areas in the Central Highlands have had rain, meteorologists said that rains have come too late for many farmers and growers after nearly two months of drought. They warned that heat waves will continue spreading in the country affecting output.
