Although jackfruit prices are edging up slightly, they remain at low levels due to hardships faced in exporting to China. Dong Thap is concentrating on controlling growing zone quality to restore market momentum.

Jackfruit prices are edging up slightly

Recently, jackfruit prices across various localities in Dong Thap Province have shown signs of edging up slightly by 1,000–2,000 VND/kg compared to earlier periods. However, this minor increase is insufficient to help orchard owners alleviate production cost pressures amidst a still-difficult consumption market. Faced with this reality, the agricultural sector and local authorities are deploying multiple solutions to upgrade product quality, tightly control raw material zones, and fortify export capacities for jackfruit.

According to observations across many specialized jackfruit cultivation zones in Dong Thap, although traders have returned to procure more regularly, selling prices remain significantly lower than in the same period of previous years.

The root cause stems primarily from the numerous obstacles encountered in export activities to the Chinese market over the past period. Prolonged testing for cadmium and Auramine O criteria has directly hindered customs clearance timelines. A number of shipments faced warnings or were returned, forcing the supply to back up into the domestic market and creating massive consumption pressure.

Mr. Tran Thanh Tâm, Director of the Sub-Department of Crop Production and Plant Protection of Dong Thap Province, stated that procurement activities for export jackfruit have basically returned to normal. However, purchasing power from the Chinese market remains slow, preventing jackfruit prices from recovering as expected.

“To develop the jackfruit commodity stably, the single most critical factor now is to elevate raw material zone quality and tightly control factors affecting food safety, particularly cadmium residues. Concurrently, it is essential to strengthen the surveillance of growing area codes and packaging facility codes to satisfy the increasingly stringent requirements of importing markets,” Mr. Tam emphasized.

According to the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of Dong Thap Province, the province currently holds more than 25,680 hectares of jackfruit, within which roughly 20,500 hectares are bearing fruit, yielding an average output of approximately 437,000 tons annually. The locality has been granted 180 growing area codes for jackfruit covering about 6,000 hectares, alongside 110 packaging facility codes serving export markets.

For May alone, the harvested jackfruit output was estimated at around 38,000 tons, and June is expected to see about 30,000 tons. This represents a substantial supply source, demanding effective consumption solutions to avoid localized supply gluts that depress selling prices.

Upgrading raw material zones to retain the market

Faced with the hardships hitting both jackfruit and durian commodities, the Dong Thap Provincial People's Committee has directed specialized sectors to intensify sample testing for export purposes, while executing multiple long-term solutions to raise the quality of flagship fruit trees.

Mr. Nguyen Phuoc Thien, Vice Chairman of the Dong Thap Provincial People's Committee, required the provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Development to urgently review and comprehensively evaluate jackfruit and durian growing zones, particularly areas carrying high risks of cadmium contamination.

According to Mr. Thien, the agricultural sector must proactively control raw material quality, forming linkages based on growing area codes. They need to step up inspections and audits over the management of growing area codes and packaging facility codes, while constructing plans to collect samples and warn of soil pH levels by specific area to deploy appropriate handling solutions.

It is critical to select highly effective production models for replication, while drafting a development project for jackfruit and durian toward sustainability in the coming time. More importantly, raising farmers' awareness in complying with safe cultivation procedures and utilizing agricultural inputs in accordance with regulations will serve as the key to enhancing product competitiveness in the market.

“In a context where export markets continuously impose strict demands regarding quality and traceability, building clean raw material zones, tightly managing production processes, and raising growers' awareness will be the key helping Dong Thap jackfruit overcome the current difficult phase. This also establishes a vital foundation for local jackfruit to step-by-step reclaim its value, expand export markets, and deliver stable incomes for farmers,” Mr. Nguyen Phuoc Thien stated.

Thap Muoi Commune is a fairly large specialized jackfruit cultivation hub in Dong Thap. Mr. Nguyen Van Hung, a farmer owning more than 3 hectares of Thai jackfruit, shared that his family has gradually transitioned toward organic-oriented production in recent years. Instead of relying heavily on chemical fertilizers, he has increased the use of organic fertilizers, biological preparations, and integrated pest management (IPM).

Although it requires more labor than traditional methods, it has helped Mr. Hung significantly cut down input costs, improve soil fertility, and limit the risk of unwanted substance residues in the products.

Mr. Hung shared that while jackfruit prices are not yet high, his profits remain guaranteed thanks to the reduced production costs. More importantly, the jackfruit achieves excellent quality, satisfying the requirements of export procurement enterprises. Farmers who follow the correct processes face much more favorable conditions when participating in raw material zones linked with growing area codes.

The Dong Thap agricultural sector advises enterprises and raw material zones to proactively control input quality, link production according to growing area codes, and classify production regions based on cadmium residue risk levels to structure appropriate procurement plans.

Farmers are strongly discouraged from utilizing agricultural inputs of unknown origin or products carrying risks of causing heavy metal residues in the soil and agricultural produce.

Source: Bao Nong nghiep va Moi truong