The price of Musang King Durian grown in Viet Nam has reached the lowest point in its history, down 70% from last year. One kilogram is now worth only VND80,000 ($3.25). In fact, Musang King, a Malaysian variety, was considered the best durian variety in the world. The reason for this price drop is the decline in durian quality.
In Tien Giang, a farmer named Ha recently made the drastic decision to cut down 200 Musang King trees he had planted for six years, resulting in a loss of VND6 billion ($244,600), according to VnExpress International.
Another farmer in the central highlands region of Dak Lak, Mai, revealed that in previous years, traders competed for Musang King durians at prices of up to VND700,000 per kilogram, but this year demand has dropped.
The harvest of Musang King durians is only half that of Monthong durians due to the smaller size of the fruit. Nevertheless, Mai manages to sell it at VND100,000 per kilogram, even lower than the price of Monthong durian.
Industry experts say that Musang King durians grown in Vietnam have lower quality standards compared to varieties grown in Malaysia, and their flesh may not suit some consumers' tastes. Therefore, Monthong varieties from Thailand and Ri 6 from Viet Nam are preferred.
A trader from Can Tho, in the southern part of Viet Nam, named Dang Manh Khuong, said that Musang King is losing out to other durian varieties in terms of price and productivity, which has led to a drop in prices.
Meanwhile, Bui Van Cuong, who has been studying durian varieties for 20 years, revealed that Musang King trees tend not to produce high-quality fruit if farmers do not have the necessary technical skills.
Source: VnExpress International
