Mekong Delta fruit prices surge as travel restrictions ease

Jackfruit, longan, and lemon cultivated in the Mekong Delta are fetching two to four times the prices that prevailed when Covid-19 related transport restrictions were in force before Oct. 1.

Longan orchards in Chau Thanh District, Dong Thap Province are ready for harvest. Photo by VnExpress/Ngoc Tai

Lemons bought directly at gardens are priced VND7,000-8,000 ($0.31-0.35) per kilogram these days, while they were selling for just VND2,000 per kilogram earlier.

Prices of Thai jackfruit have also surged to VND19,000-30,000 per kilogram. These prices are four times more than the previous four months when travel was restricted.

Similarly, longan prices have doubled to VND12,000-14,000 per kilogram.

"Farmers hope to a lot of longan and make a profit when Chau Thanh District (Dong Thap Province) harvests the fruit in about a month," said Nguyen Van Thuan, a farmer from the district.

In July, fruit from the Mekong Delta, Vietnam's agriculture hub, was sold poorly at lower prices as wholesales markets across HCMC close due to Covid-19.

Mekong Delta contributes 90 percent of the country’s rice exports, 65 percent of seafood exports, and 70 percent of fruit exports.