What is the reason for the sharp drop in Musang King durian prices?

Musang King durian price continuously decreases

About a week ago, many durian purchasing warehouses announced that the purchase price of Musang King durian (known as the "king" durian) was lower than that of Monthong (Dona) durian, shocking many gardeners.

Recently, in Ho Chi Minh City, Musang King durian - known as the king of durians - has appeared more and more and the price has continuously decreased. At high-end fruit stores, the price of this item fluctuates around 250,000 - 300,000 VND/kg, down 50% compared to 2 years ago; while at durian orchards, the price is only 150,000 - 200,000 VND/kg with the reason "a lot of goods have arrived".

Musang King durian prices continue to fall

A merchant who specializes in selling durian online said that the Musang King durian supply is abundant, so they have to continuously reduce prices to push sales. In addition, this is a new durian variety, many gardens have not yet reached the required quality, leading to low prices.

Currently, most export purchasing warehouses mainly quote prices for Monthong (Dona) and Ri 6 durians. On July 14, a durian warehouse in Krong Pak ( Dak Lak ) announced that the purchase price of Monthong durian was 96,000 - 99,000 VND/kg (type A); 76,000 - 79,000 VND/kg (type B); Musang King 88,000 - 92,000 VND/kg (type A) and 68,000 - 72,000 VND/kg (type B). Thus, the wholesale price of durian at the garden shows that the Musang King variety has fallen below Monthong.

People in Bu Gia Map district, Binh Phuoc province said that recently many durian gardeners around the area have cut down Musang King durian trees because it is not economically effective to plant Ri 6 or Dona varieties.

Previously, Musang King durian was 2-3 times more expensive than popular domestic varieties and still profitable, but now that the price has dropped, it is a total loss. Because growing Musang King durian requires difficult techniques, low productivity, and high cost - this farmer shared.

According to businesses in the production, trading and distribution of Musang King durian, because farmers grow Musang King durian spontaneously and without output links, they are forced to lower prices by traders. In addition, Musang King durian is best harvested from the 8th - 9th year onwards, while in Vietnam, the trees are mainly under 6 years old, so the quality is not stable and uniform, and the low selling price is understandable.

According to the Southeast Fruit Research Center, Vietnam mainly grows Dona, Ri 6, Chin Hoa durian varieties (nearly 90%), the rest are other varieties. As for Musang King and Black Thorn durian, this unit has not recommended planting.

Musang King is a durian of Malaysian origin collected by the Southern Fruit Institute in 2001 and grafted onto a 3-year-old durian rootstock in Ben Tre province. The tree bears fruit 30 months after grafting. The flowers are easy to set fruit but need additional pollination and control of young shoots. The disadvantage of the Musang King variety is that the fruit cracks 2-3 days after ripening, and the fruit flesh often does not cover the seeds.

Before the price dropped, how expensive was Musang King durian?

Before dropping to 250,000 - 300,000 VND/kg, Musang King durian used to cost up to nearly 1 million VND/kg of whole fruit in Vietnam. In Ho Chi Minh City, Musang King durian is appearing more and more and the price is continuously decreasing.

At high-end fruit stores, the price of Musang King durian ranges from VND250,000 to VND300,000 per kilogram, down 50% from two years ago. Meanwhile, at durian orchards, the price is only VND150,000 to VND200,000 per kilogram due to "a large number of imported goods".

Musang King durian is known as the king of durians, the best durian in the world. At the end of 2023, Musang King durian attracted attention when it was sold for an exorbitant price of RM 185,000 (nearly VND 1 billion) at a fundraising event in Raub district, Pahang (Malaysia). This price makes Musang King one of the most expensive durians in the world.

In Vietnam, there was a time when Musang King durian grown in the West fluctuated from 500,000 to 850,000 VND/kg without shell, equivalent to 1.5-1.8 million VND/kg with shell. Musang King durian has turmeric yellow flesh, flat seeds, sweet taste, and a very characteristic aroma, not too strong or bitter. When enjoying it, you will feel all the rich flavors of durian segments and the satisfying feeling when biting deeply but not touching the seeds. On average, the price of Musang King durian fluctuates from 16 USD/kg to 21 USD/kg (equivalent to 400,000 - 500,000 VND) depending on the origin, quality, seller and demand.

Source: https://congthuong.vn/dau-la-nguyen-nhan-khien-gia-sau-rieng-musang-king-giam-sau-332862.html