Vietnamese coconut prices fall due to "hot" development
After a period of strong growth thanks to export demand, Vietnamese coconut industry is facing a serious price drop. Since mid-October, price of fresh coconuts in the Mekong Delta has dropped sharply compared to the beginning of the year. Currently, in Vinh Long, price of green coconuts is only 5,000 VND/fruit, down more than 40% compared to the beginning of the year; while at the end of the first quarter of 2025, price of fresh coconuts will exceed 100,000 VND/dozen of 12 fruits.
Speaking to a reporter from Industry and Trade Newspaper, Mr. Cao Ba Dang Khoa, Vice President and General Secretary of Vietnam Coconut Association, confirmed this deep price drop. Mr. Khoa said that this is not just a market cycle or a simple seasonal factor, but is the result of a "hasty and unfounded development" over the past time.
Specifically, Vietnam exports up to 16 fresh coconut varieties, but very few of them are registered. This leads to farmers growing them freely, without following any standards, making the output products completely inconsistent.
"Export shipments become mixed, literally 'like a mixed hotpot', lacking transparency and inconsistent in quality and nutritional content," Mr. Khoa commented.
In addition, Vietnamese coconut industry is also under pressure from price competition from international market, specifically from Thailand. In the past two years, Thailand has increased investment in the high-end fresh coconut segment, maintaining stable quality to protect domestic and export markets.
"Thailand has been under great pressure from Vietnamese coconuts in the past four quarters, but thanks to a clear orientation, it has maintained its price and market share, while Vietnamese coconuts have fallen dramatically. The core difference is that they have a strategy, while Vietnam does not", Mr. Khoa emphasized.
On the export side, Mr. Le Thanh Tron, Director of Thanh Danh Coconut Trading Company Limited, said that more and more new companies are being established, increasing quantity of fresh coconuts exported but reducing quality. Mr. Tron shared: "Unfortunately, for immediate benefits, some companies have chosen to do business with poor quality, purchasing miscellaneous goods, not selecting, leading to many shipments being returned. This situation has seriously affected and reduced the overall reputation of Vietnamese coconut exporting enterprises, including those doing business honestly".
Consequences of coconut production and trading during the "hot" growth period but lacking direction have caused heavy losses for the entire industry. According to the Vietnam Coconut Association, among more than 600 coconut production and trading enterprises in Vietnam, many units have suffered a big shock. Situation of enterprises dissolving and falling down has been very common in the past two quarters. More seriously, this inconsistency in quality has caused a loss of confidence in the international market, especially the Chinese market, making Vietnamese coconuts unable to compete after the first test.
Need for synchronous orientation
Faced with the crisis of trust and prices, rebuilding coconut industry in a sustainable direction is considered an urgent task, requiring synchronous coordination between the state, associations and enterprises.
Talking to reporters of Industry and Trade Newspaper, a representative of Toan Cau Trai Tuoi Company Limited affirmed its stance when saying that the enterprise always puts credibility first, absolutely does not follow the trend of competing on price by any means. Each shipment is carefully inspected from the coconut import stage to the packaging stage to ensure the supply of the most standardized and consistent coconuts.
"This strict quality control is not only a responsibility to partners, but also a way for us to contribute to protecting the reputation and building a sustainable brand for Vietnamese coconut trees. We understand that only consistent quality can help the coconut industry overcome this international crisis of confidence," the representative shared.
In terms of management, Vietnam Coconut Association is implementing many synchronous plans to overcome quality shortcomings, including reshaping coconut seed areas to encourage the conservation of specialty varieties, building a supply chain and guiding farmers to build planting diaries to make cultivation transparent.
In addition, the Association also promotes research and development of biological pesticides and specialized organic fertilizers for coconut trees. At the same time, the Association is coordinating with credit institutions to implement a credit support plan for farmers, helping them have capital and not have to sell young coconuts (only 20 days old) due to lack of money.
At the strategic level, Vietnamese coconut industry aims to diversify export markets, actively participate in international trade promotion programs such as the Anuga fair (Germany) and seek partners in more than 60 countries. The potential is still huge when the retail price of coconuts in Beijing and Shanghai reaches about 95,000 VND/fruit, while in the US it is up to 120,000 VND/fruit, showing that the room for market expansion is still open if Vietnam regains trust with quality and a clear strategy.

Source: Vitic/ congthuong.vn