Vietnam's Ri6 Durian Only 6 Yuan per Catty, South Korean Fertilizer Cadmium Contamination Issue Sinks Like a Stone
Among these, the Golden Pillow durian in the Western Highlands has the highest price at 95,000 dong/kg (about 26.1 yuan/kg), with A and B fruits priced at 90-95,000 dong/kg and 70-75,000 dong/kg in the Southwest and Southeast regions, respectively. C fruits in the Western Highlands and Southwest regions are priced at 40-44,000 dong/kg. Ri6 durian A fruits have the highest prices in the Southwest and Southeast regions at 44-48,000 dong/kg and 45-48,000 dong/kg, with C fruits around 25-28,000 dong/kg. Musang King durian A fruits in the Southwest region reach 110-125,000 dong/kg, and 105-125,000 dong/kg in the Southeast region, while B fruits in the Southwest and Southeast regions are priced at 90-95,000 dong/kg.
According to the Vietnam Fruit and Vegetable Association, Vietnam's durian export value for the first 4 months of 2025 was only $183 million, a year-on-year decrease of 60.9%. China, as the primary export market, saw exports of only $105 million, a year-on-year decline of 75%.
A single container of durian is worth billions of Vietnamese dong, and being stranded at border ports for 7-10 days not only incurs high storage costs but also risks being returned if goods do not meet standards. Many export enterprises have been forced to suspend exports, falling into sales difficulties. Durian growers are also widely panicked due to concerns about production and market instability.
The Vietnamese durian industry and media have repeatedly requested the disclosure of heavy metal cadmium retest results for the Diammonium Phosphate (DAP) samples from the South Sea factory established in August 2023, as well as the handling process of the "self-recalled" fertilizer quantities and market circulation, but have received no response.
From 2020 to July 2023, Vietnam imported over 122,000 tons of Diammonium Phosphate fertilizer from South Korea, valued at $74.4 million. After information about potential excessive cadmium content emerged,