Durian Musang King is more expensive than imported ones when grown in Vietnam.

One kilogram of Musang King durian (peeled) grown in Vietnam is priced at 1.5-1.8 million dong, an increase of 10% compared to the same period in 2022, which is several hundred thousand dong more expensive than imported goods.

Musang King from Malaysia is regarded as the “best durian in the world” and has been experimentally grown by people in the Central Highlands and the Mekong Delta for the past three years. They are being sold in many fruit stores in Ho Chi Minh City, Can Tho, and Hanoi.

Reports from VnExpress indicate that the selling price of Musang King grown in the Mekong Delta ranges from 500,000 to 850,000 dong per kilogram unpeeled, equivalent to 1.5-1.8 million dong per kilogram peeled. In contrast, the imported version from Malaysia (peeled, frozen) costs 1.3-1.5 million dong per kilogram for type A goods, which is 20% cheaper than domestically grown products.

The price is expensive but this type is always in a “sold-out” situation, many people wanting to buy have to wait two weeks to a month. Ms. Oanh, a durian enthusiast in Ho Chi Minh City, stated that the flesh of these durians is fragrant with a sticky, fatty texture. “I have to place a deposit a month in advance to receive my order,” she said.

A fruit store in Hanoi also mentioned that it just sold 10 fruits at a price of 700,000 VND per kilogram without the peel (each fruit weighing 2-4 kg). “Since these are fallen fruits, transported by air, the quality is high. Whatever we have, customers buy it all,” the manager of this store said.

Explaining the high price of Musang King durian grown in Vietnam, Mr. Dang Manh Khương, a wholesale trader in Can Tho, said it is due to the off-season fruits, so only a few orchards are harvesting early, resulting in limited quantities.

“I specialize in sourcing fallen fruits, purchasing everything from the orchards, but I can only buy a few dozen fruits a day. At most, there are times when I can buy up to 200-300 kg,” Mr. Khương stated.

Ms. Hoa, who owns about 50 Musang King trees in Can Tho, also mentioned that her orchard only has a few trees producing fruit early, while the rest will be harvested in August.

In addition to the scarce supply, according to traders, the variety grown in Vietnam is fresh, with higher transportation costs and more challenging preservation compared to frozen goods (imported), thus making the price higher. “By July-August, when this product is in season, production will increase, and the price may cool down,” Mr. Khương predicted.

Musang King durian originates from Sabah in Malaysia and is known as the “king of durians” due to its delicious flavor.

The first person to discover this variety was Wee Chong Beng in the Musang cave area in Kelantan (Malaysia). After discovering its delightful taste, this fruit was propagated to many areas outside of the Musang cave and is widely grown in Malaysia due to its high economic value.

This fruit has an oval shape, is not too large, weighing between 2-4 kg. The skin of the fruit is dark green and has very large thorns. A characteristic of this type is the groove in the middle of the stem and the body of the fruit. The bottom of the fruit clearly shows 5 large and thick segments.