High Demand, Sky-High Prices: Quang Ngai’s Small Gardeners Cash in on Areca Nut Boom

In the rural and mountainous areas of Quang Ngai province, small gardeners are growing areca palms to meet the high demand for fresh nuts. Despite the current purchase price per kilogram of fresh areca nuts being over 50,000 VND, almost 5 times higher than last year, traders are actively competing to buy them. This is in an effort to maintain their business relationships with growers and seize the opportunity for profit.

Growers like Ms. Tran Huyen Thanh in Nghia Hanh district have been benefiting from the high prices, earning substantial income from selling their areca nuts grown on their land. The agricultural sector lacks precise statistics on the total production of areca nuts in Quang Ngai province, but it is clear that the feverish price increases have attracted traders to purchase nuts from gardens across the region.

The hope among traders and growers alike is that when the main harvest season arrives, prices will still be high, providing a good income for local farmers. Areca nuts are in high demand during Tet celebrations, with prices exceeding 100,000 VND per kg before gradually decreasing in the summer months. This year’s prices have been steadily increasing due to supply and demand fluctuations and Chinese market trends.