Red-fleshed jackfruit prices soar due to increased Chinese purchases

Recently, China has increased its purchase of red-fleshed jackfruit, causing the garden price to rise to 105,000 VND per kilogram for grade 1, nearly 4 times higher than in July.

Harvesting red-fleshed jackfruit in Vinh Long, Ms. Oanh was excited because she sold it at a record high price. Specifically, half a ton of grade 1 red jackfruit was sold for 105,000 VND per kilogram, a ton of grade 2-3 was priced at 35,000-80,000 VND. "After deducting expenses, I made a profit of about 70 million VND," Ms. Oanh said.

Similarly, Mr. Hoang in Can Tho, who owns a garden of several dozen red jackfruit trees, is being asked to buy them at 103,000 VND per kilogram. "The price has never been as high as this year. Compared to July (when it hit rock bottom), the price has increased nearly 4 times," Mr. Hoang shared.

According to records at jackfruit farms in Dong Nai, Hau Giang, Soc Trang, Vinh Long, An Giang, Dong Thap and Can Tho, the price of red-fleshed jackfruit has also increased sharply. Accordingly, grade 1 jackfruit (each fruit weighs 8 kg) costs 95,000-105,000 VND per kg, grade 2 (fruit weighs 6 kg) is 85,000 VND and grade 3 (fruit weighs 4 kg) is around 35,000 VND.

Red-fleshed jackfruit at a garden in Can Tho. Photo: Manh Khuong — Red-fleshed jackfruit at a garden in Can Tho. Photo: *Manh Khuong*

Mr. Hoa - a jackfruit trader in Vinh Long - said that since October, jackfruit prices have been continuously increasing. "I bought all the red-fleshed jackfruit because market demand has increased dramatically compared to the previous 4 months," he said.

Mr. Dang Manh Khuong, owner of a fruit purchasing facility in Can Tho, said that there are about 600 trees that are about to be harvested. Instead of selling retail and wholesale to domestic customers, this year he mainly sells to businesses exporting to China.

The reason for the sharp increase in red-fleshed jackfruit prices, according to traders, is that China has increased its purchases. This year, in addition to Thai jackfruit, this country has also increased its purchases of red-fleshed jackfruit. However, the area planted with this type of jackfruit in the Western provinces is still low, meaning that the supply is low, causing the price to increase.

According to locals, red-fleshed jackfruit is delicious and beautiful, but if cut before maturity, the segments will not be as delicious as Thai jackfruit. On the contrary, if cut past maturity, the segments will ripen very quickly, making it difficult to transport for export.

Preliminary statistics from the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of the Western and Southern provinces show that the current area of red-fleshed jackfruit is nearly 2,000 hectares. Of which, Binh Phuoc is growing over 1,000 hectares and is expected to grow to 3,000 hectares by 2025. The remaining provinces such as Soc Trang, Hau Giang, and Long An are also growing with an area of several dozen to several hundred hectares.

Although red-fleshed jackfruit is bringing high economic value to growers, the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of the provinces recommends that farmers should not plant it en masse. Before planting this jackfruit, gardeners need to carefully consider the long-term economic efficiency and aim for sustainable output after harvest, avoiding the situation of uncontrolled planting causing oversupply, which will reduce prices.

Thi Ha

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