In the rural and mountainous areas of Quang Ngai province, the demand for fresh areca nuts is on the rise. Traders are willing to pay over 50,000 VND per kilogram of fresh nuts at the garden, almost five times higher than last year at the same time. Despite the high cost, traders are actively competing to purchase fresh areca nuts in order to maintain their business relationships.
The price of areca nuts fluctuates depending on supply and demand, as well as the Chinese market, which is the main consumer of this product. After buying the areca nuts, traders will transport them to collection points where they will be 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 exported to China for candy production.
The demand for areca nuts is particularly high during Tet when prices can exceed 100,000 VND per kg. However, prices have been steadily increasing throughout the summer and into fall. While growers like Ms. Tran Huyen Thanh in Nghia Hanh district have benefited from the high prices, earning substantial income from selling areca nuts grown on their land, it remains uncertain what will happen when the main harvest season arrives.
Despite these uncertainties, traders continue to buy fresh areca nuts from gardens across Quang Ngai province in hopes that they will still be in high demand come harvest season. The agricultural sector lacks precise statistics on total production in the province due to small-scale cultivation by local gardeners. It remains to be seen whether this feverish price increase will sustain itself throughout the coming months or if it will level out once supply becomes more consistent with demand.