Fresh areca nuts are highly sought after in Quang Ngai province, with traders competing to buy them at an average price of 50,000 – 55,000 VND per kilogram. Despite the high cost, traders are eager to maintain their relationships with growers and seize the opportunity for profit. The demand for areca nuts is driven by the Chinese market, which is the main consumer of this product.
The process of exporting fresh areca nuts involves transporting them to collection points where they are separated from stems and fruits before being dried. Typically, 7-8 kg of fresh nuts will yield 1 kg of dried areca nuts, which are then shipped to China for candy production. Areca nuts have a seasonal demand, with prices exceeding 100,000 VND per kg during Tet and gradually decreasing in the summer. However, this year prices have been steadily increasing.
Growers like Ms. Tran Huyen Thanh in Nghia Hanh district benefit greatly from the high prices earned by selling areca nuts grown on their land. The agricultural sector lacks precise statistics on the total production in Quang Ngai province due to small-scale cultivation by gardeners. Traders have been attracted to purchase fresh areca nuts from gardens across the region in hopes of profiting from their feverish price increases. The hope is that when the main harvest season arrives, prices will remain high and provide a good income for local farmers.