Ready for the Tet fruit season

Dong Nai province has a large area dedicated to fruit cultivation, with many key crops such as pomelo, mango, and dragon fruit in high demand during the Lunar New Year. At this time, farmers across the province’s fruit-growing regions are busy tending their orchards in anticipation of the harvest season, which typically brings the highest prices of the year.

Duong La Cam pomelo, a specialty of Tan Trieu ward, is ready for the Lunar New Year (Tet) 2026 market. Photo: Binh Nguyen

During the Lunar New Year 2026 season, erratic weather has caused significant crop losses for many fruit varieties, including pomelo and mango. However, with ample supply and a diverse range of fruit varieties, the Tet fruit market this year is forecast to face no shortages or price spikes.

Pomelo and mango suffer poor harvests

Pomelo and mango are two key crops in Dong Nai province. They are also among the fruits most commonly used by consumers in the traditional five-fruit tray for Tet and as gifts during the Lunar New Year. As a result, growers across the province typically focus on producing pomelo and mango for the Tet season.

At present, many localities across the province have large pomelo-growing areas, including Hung Thinh, Thanh Son, Binh Loc, Phu Vinh, Tri An, Bao Vinh, Tan Trieu, Tan Phu, Dau Giay, Loc Ninh, and Phu Rieng. The province has developed nearly 11,200 hectares of pomelo, with a total annual output reaching almost 188,300 tons. Pomelo farmers often make significant investments in the Tet crop, hoping for both a good harvest and favorable prices.

However, erratic weather conditions this year have led to crop losses in many pomelo-growing areas, and pomelo supply for the Lunar New Year 2026 market is forecast to be less abundant.

Nguyen Minh Vuong, Director of Vuong Huong Trading and Services Co., Ltd. in Tan Trieu ward, said that this year, the prolonged rainy season and erratic weather have caused crop losses for many orchard owners. With about one month remaining before the Tet pomelo season, many growers currently have no pomelos to sell. Pomelo output for this year’s Tet season is forecast to decline significantly compared with previous years.

Crop failures due to erratic weather are also common in mango-growing areas across the province. Mango is another major crop in Dong Nai, with a total cultivation area of over 11,700 hectares. It is widely grown in areas such as Phu Ly, Xuan Hoa, Thanh Son, La Nga, Dinh Quan, Loc Ninh, and Bu Dang.

Mango is a traditional essential fruit in the Tet five-fruit tray. Accordingly, many localities in the province focus on cultivating off-season mango crops for harvest during the Lunar New Year. However, for the 2026 Tet crop, mango farmers are worried about a poor harvest.

Nguyen Van Duc, a large-scale mango farmer in La Nga commune, cultivates a wide range of mango varieties, including Cat Hoa Loc, Thai, Taiwanese, Australian, and three-season rainy varieties. In previous years, he treated the entire area of more than 18 hectares to ensure harvests during the Lunar New Year, as mangoes sell well at that time in both export and domestic markets.

This year, however, erratic weather, particularly a prolonged rainy season and frequent unseasonal rains, has had a severe impact on flowering and fruit set. As a result, Duc treated only about 10 hectares for the Tet harvest. Even so, off-season mango output for this year’s Tet crop has fallen by around 70 percent compared with previous years due to crop losses. Notably, specialty varieties such as Cat Hoa Loc and Thai mango have suffered almost total losses for the Tet season.

Hoping for the Tet peak season

Reduced supply has driven early price increases for many fruits traditionally used in Tet displays. Mango prices have begun to climb. Specifically, export-quality Taiwanese mangoes are being sold at orchards for 25,000–30,000 VND per kilogram, while three-season rainy mangoes are priced at 8,000–10,000 VND per kilogram, significantly higher than the same period last year. Duc forecast that many mango growers have suffered total losses in the off-season crop intended for harvest during the 2026 Tet holiday. Accordingly, mango farmers are hoping that prices will rise sharply this Tet to offset losses in output.

For the Lunar New Year 2026 market, many pomelo growers have developed unique and novel products, such as wine-gourd-shaped pomelos and pomelos embossed with calligraphy characters, for use as decorative items and gifts during Tet. Prices for these products are often several times higher than those of regular fruit. However, as this product line targets a niche customer segment, growers produce them in limited quantities.

Tan Trieu is well known for its premium pomelo specialties, most notably the Duong La Cam pomelo. Most pomelo growers in Tan Trieu focus on producing the Tet crop, as it fetches the highest prices compared with other times of the year. At present, many orchard owners are concentrating on fruit nurturing and care to ensure harvests in time for the Lunar New Year 2026. Due to crop losses, pomelo farmers across the province, in general, and in the Tan Trieu area in particular, are hoping for high Tet pomelo prices.

Although some fruit varieties have suffered poor harvests and reduced output for the Lunar New Year 2026 season, overall fruit supply for the Tet market is still expected to be abundant. Farmers growing fruits such as dragon fruit, cantaloupe, and bananas are focusing on intensive care to harvest the best-quality and most visually appealing produce for the Tet market.

Truong Hoan Thien, owner of the Nui Cui agricultural cultivation and processing facility in Gia Kiem commune, said the farm is tending more than one hectare of Buddha’s hand bananas, with harvests focused on the Lunar New Year 2026 season. This fruit is popular for Tet displays. On regular days, it sells at orchards for only 50,000–55,000 VND per kilogram, but Tet prices rise to 70,000–80,000 VND per kilogram, allowing growers to earn better incomes.

By Binh Nguyen – Translated by Dang Huyen, Minho