Prices fluctuate sharply, gardeners gradually lose advantages
Cuối tháng 1.2026, ông Huỳnh Thanh Lễ - Giám đốc HTX Nông nghiệp Trinh Lợi (xã Đại Hải, TP Cần Thơ) cho biết, vừa thu hoạch xong đợt 1 vụ sầu riêng sớm.
According to Mr. Le, at the beginning of December 2025, at the peak of the first season, the price of durian was around 110,000 VND/kg, but after just over 2 weeks it sharply decreased, sometimes falling to 65,000 VND/kg. After that, the price slightly increased back to 9,000 VND/kg. Fearing that the price would continue to fall deeply, he decided to receive deposits from traders to "finalize" this price level to reduce risks. "Never before has the price of durian fluctuated as strongly as in 2025 and early 2026. Prices rise slowly, but when falling, they can fall 20,000 - 30,000 VND," Mr. Le commented.
In the peak period at the beginning of the 2022 - 2023 crop, durian prices once soared to 19,000 - 220,000 VND/kg; at the beginning of the 2024 crop, they still maintained at 145,000 - 165,000 VND/kg. Meanwhile, at the beginning of this crop, prices just increased and quickly decreased.
Tại tỉnh Đồng Tháp, ông Lê Văn Phước Lạc - Giám đốc HTX Dịch vụ Nông nghiệp Phú An (xã Bình Phú) - cho biết, HTX hiện có 410ha sầu riêng đã được cấp mã số vùng trồng phục vụ xuất khẩu. Giá thu mua sầu riêng Ri6 đầu vụ vào tháng 12.2025 tại vườn khoảng 40.000 đồng/kg, còn sầu riêng Thái khoảng 80.000 đồng/kg.
Not only durian, many other fruits also fall into a precarious output situation. Mr. Cao Minh Phuc - a member of Phu An Agricultural Service Cooperative - said that his family has 4,000m2 of jackfruit cultivation. The fact that Vietnam and China signed a Protocol on exporting fresh jackfruit brings many expectations, but the joy is still not complete.
The output still largely depends on purchasing businesses. Many units do business in the style of traders, not signing long-term consumption contracts. When the market is favorable, they come, and when difficult, they are willing to refuse," Mr. Phuc said.
Planning for fruit to reach far
Theo TS. Trần Hữu Hiệp - chuyên gia kinh tế và nông nghiệp - ĐBSCL sở hữu nhiều vùng chuyên canh quy mô lớn, nhiều loại trái cây đã chinh phục được các thị trường khó tính như Mỹ, EU, Nhật Bản, Hàn Quốc và Trung Quốc. Tuy nhiên, nhìn tổng thể, kim ngạch xuất khẩu trái cây của vùng vẫn thấp hơn nhiều so với tiềm năng, chưa tương xứng với vai trò “vựa trái cây quốc gia”.
Dr. Hiep believes that the paradox of "large output, low value" reflects the fundamental bottlenecks in the development model. When Mekong Delta fruits have integrated into the global market, small-scale production is no longer suitable; cooperatives are not strong enough to lead linkages, making it difficult for businesses to sign long-term contracts, and farmers are vulnerable to market fluctuations.
According to Mr. Su Quoc Loc, Director of Loc Mai Agricultural Cooperative - since 2018, star apples of the cooperative have had "passports" for export to the US. Thanks to linking with businesses, the profit per hectare has increased by 200 - 300 million VND compared to before. To meet export requirements, 33 cooperative members apply synchronous technical procedures, reduce chemical fertilizers, and increase the use of organic fertilizers and biological products. Currently, the cooperative has 33ha meeting VietGAP standards, and this year's yield is 25 - 30 tons/ha.
Theo ông Trần Phước Sơn - Giám đốc HTX, sản xuất theo GlobalGAP tuy vất vả hơn nhưng được doanh nghiệp bao tiêu với giá cao, giúp nông dân nâng lợi nhuận.
The Department of Agriculture and Environment of Can Tho City said that in 2025, the area of fruit trees in the whole city reached over 100,000ha, with an output of more than 1.2 million tons. Most of the output is still consumed through traders who buy at the garden.
In addition, 194 cooperatives, cooperative groups and clubs have been formed on an area of over 2,300ha; there are 42 enterprises linked to produce and consume fruit for export with a scale of over 6,000ha. To date, 477 planting area codes have been issued, creating a foundation for raw material area management, traceability and official export.
Ông Nguyễn Đình Mười - Phó Tổng Giám đốc Công ty TNHH Thương mại, dịch vụ xuất nhập khẩu Vina T&T cho biết, thời gian qua doanh nghiệp đã liên kết với các HTX tại Cần Thơ xây dựng vùng trồng nhãn, xoài, vú sữa xuất khẩu sang Mỹ, châu Âu, Australia và nhiều thị trường khác. Các thị trường khó tính đều yêu cầu tiêu chuẩn GlobalGAP. Nếu đáp ứng tốt, trái cây Cần Thơ sẽ tiếp tục vươn xa.
Dr. Tran Huu Hiep - an economic and agricultural expert believes that, for Mekong Delta fruits to truly "reach out to the big sea", it is necessary to promote close links between growing areas - cooperatives - businesses - logistics - markets. In which, cooperatives must be elevated to a substantial level, becoming a focal point for organizing production according to orders and standards of each export market; The State plays a constructive role, supporting institutions, credit, training and market information. Investing in synchronous agricultural logistics from cold storage, packaging centers to specialized transportation associated with raw material area planning will help reduce costs, enhance competitiveness and limit congestion during the peak season, creating a "lever" for Mekong Delta fruits to participate more deeply in the global value chain.
