Fruit farmers in central highland worry because of unstable consumption level

In five recent years, farmers in the central highland of Dak Lak and Dak Nong switched to grow durian and avocado; however, consumption level of the two fruits is not stable worrying farmers a lot.

Many industrial tree farmers who have switched to fruits in recent years in their fields can earn many times the money they do from growing industrial trees. Prices of the two fruits have been fluctuating in the two recent years causing worries amongst farmers.

58 year old farmer Mai An in Krong Pak in Dak Lak Province said that he grew 200 durian trees in 2010; yearly, he harvests averagely 30-40 tons of fruits netting VND2 – 3 billion. Realizing that growing the fruit generated high profit, he bought additional one hectare of land to grow 300 durian trees.

Years ago, durian fetched VND80,000 - VND100,000 per kilogram but this year, it has fallen to VND50,000 - VND75,000 a kilogram. Previously, traders ordered the fruit in advance but they criticized the fruit to offer low prices and he had no choice but sold it.

Consumption of avocado is low.

According to the Dak Nong Province Agriculture Development Department’s statistics, avocado –growing orchards increased from 390 hectare to over 2,583 hectare from 2014 – 2018 while durian-growing orchard in Dak Lak Province also rose from 1,651 hectare to 6,089 hectare and avocado –growing farms from 97 hectare to 5,606 hectare from 2014-2018 .

As per the plan, Dak Lak has 5,000 hectares of durian orchard and 4,000 hectares of avocado orchard by 2020 but now it far exceeds the plan.

Le Van Thanh who heads the Department of Plantation and Tree Protection in Dak Lak Province explained local price of the two fruits because Vietnamese fruits are consumed locally not exported.

Deputy Director of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development in Dak Nong Nguyen Thi Tinh said that the agriculture sector is building a program for 2020 – 2025 to support supply- chain-related production as well as guide farmers to apply technology to cut investment cost.

Competent agencies are calling for local and international investor and build brand names for the province’s fruits for exports, said Mrs. Tinh.