An Australian mango variety cultivated in Vietnam has experienced an 80% price drop this year, posing financial challenges for farmers. Vo Xuan Hien, a mango farmer in Khanh Hoa province, reports leaving ripe mangoes unharvested as prices have fallen to $0.20–$0.30 per kilogram from $1.20 last year. Previously earning around $16,800 annually with a 50% profit margin, Hien now aims to break even. "In my eight years of growing mango, this is the first time I am experiencing both a poor harvest and low prices," he stated.
Cam Lam District, home to his orchard, spans 7,000 hectares of mango, with 4,000 hectares dedicated to the Australian variety since 2003. Unharvested mangoes risk rotting if not sold within two weeks. The price drop is attributed to a decline in demand from China, the district's largest mango buyer. Huynh Uy Vien, the district's vice chairman, noted that China's increased domestic mango production has reduced import demand, impacting local farmers.
Currently, most mangoes are sold domestically or processed into products like dried mango and juice. Vien highlighted, "Up to 1,800 tons of mangoes ready for harvest have not been sold. They are now priced even lower than their cost of production." Efforts are underway with supermarkets and retail chains to enhance domestic sales. However, farmers like Thao have already faced losses, expecting a deficit of around $4,200 this season. "Ripe mangoes are falling, and traders are paying dirt-cheap prices," she remarked.
Dang The Thuyen, CEO of local processing company Camlamonline, mentioned that weather conditions are affecting fruit quality. His company has purchased 100 tons for dried mango production, with plans to buy more to aid farmers in recovering investments.
Source: VNExpress