Vietnam’s durian growing area has been expanding on average 24.5% annually since 2010. Cultivation takes place on 131,000 hectares now and authorities are concerned about oversupply. The Central Highland region has the biggest durian area at nearly 70,000 hectares, followed by the Mekong Delta, the southeastern and the central coastal regions.
According to Vu Duc Con, deputy director of Dak Lak Agriculture and Rural Development, there are over 28,600 hectares of durian in the Central Highland province of Dak Lak and the figure will increase in just a few years. He thinks the expansion rate is too fast and a cause of concern.
Another Central Highland province, Lam Dong, has issued a warning to farmers about the unusually fast expansion rate. Since 2021, it has surged nearly 44% to 19,700. Lam Dong’s durian production is now at 115,000 tons annually and is forecast to double to 225,000 tons by 2027.
Nguyen Nhu Cuong, head of the Ministry’s horticulture unit, said that when durians were grown in unsuitable areas they would produce low quality fruits, causing damage to farmers and to the Vietnamese durian brand. Other issues in the durian farming industry are a lack of connection between farmers and traders, weak branding, unqualified workers, insufficient infrastructure, and unfair competition.
Source: e.vnexpress.net