Dao Thi Tuyet Dung (Bach Mai ward, Hanoi) decided not to buy a whole durian as usual, but chose 2 kilograms of Ri6 durian flesh at VND150,000/kg to give to her grandparents as a gift, who love the fruit.

She has been buying durian every week, sometimes whole fruits, and other times just the flesh. 

Dung is a ‘fan’ of durian, but she could only ‘window shop’ in previous years as durian was always very expensive. On occasion, the fruit shop she frequented sent messages offering whole durian at about VND270,000/kg and Ri6 durian flesh at VND850,000/kg.

But since the beginning of the year, durian has flooded the market at affordable prices.

Nguyen Thi Thanh, a durian retailer in Yen Hoa (Hanoi), confirmed that from 2022 to late 2024, durian prices were extremely high due to China’s increased imports.

“There were times when, despite high prices, we couldn’t even get durian to sell,” she said. Some Ri6 and Monthong durian flesh sold at VND550,000-850,000/kg and whole fruit at VND220,000-280,000/kg.

However, since early 2025, durian exports to China have faced difficulties, causing the market to be flooded with durian at increasingly lower prices.

In mid-July, Thanh sold grade-1 Ri6 durian weighing 2-4kg per fruit at just VND55,000/kg and durian flesh at VND200,000/kg. She guarantees the quality of each segment, offering a one-for-one exchange if the durian is unripe or tasteless.

“Grade-2 and 3 durians are even cheaper, but I don’t stock them,” she said, adding that these have been the lowest prices since 2022.

Vu Thi Mai, a fruit supplier in Giang Vo (Hanoi), noted that due to falling durian prices, since early June, she has switched to selling Monthong durian flesh at VND140,000-170,000/kg.

Last year, this price applied to whole Monthong durian. For grade-1 Monthong durian flesh, prices ranged from VND350,000-400,000/kg.

Suppliers noted that current retail durian prices are only one-third of their peak in 2024.

According to the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment, Vietnam’s durian output this year is estimated at about 1.5 million tons. The peak harvest season lasts from April to September.

However, durian exports to the traditional Chinese market have faced challenges. In the first four months of 2025, the durian industry saw a significant decline in both output and export value, reaching only $130 million, far below the $500 million recorded in the same period in 2024.

Tam An