Le Thi Lan, a farmer in Binh Loc Commune, Dong Nai Province, said her family grew 5ha of Vietnamese rambutan before 2014, but now she has cut down local rambutan trees on 3ha to grow Thai rambutan.
She said her family might grow Thai rambutan trees on the remaining 2ha in the future if the selling price of Thai rambutan remains high.
Currently, the wholesale price of Thai rambutan stands at VND18,000 (US$0.8) per kilo, while the price of Vietnamese rambutan is between VND5,000 and VND15,000 per kilo depending on the kind of rambutan, according to Tin tuc newspaper.
The demand for Thai rambutan has also increased recently, said Phung Thanh Tam, director of the Binh Loc Agricultural, Service and Trade Cooperative in Binh Loc Commune.
However, Thai rambutan prices have not been as stable as local rambutan prices. That is a great risk for local farmers, he said. In addition, the higher supply of Thai rambutan would drive down the selling price for the fruit.
The Dong Nai Agriculture and Rural Development Department warned that farmers should be careful when switching from local rambutan trees to Thai rambutan. Local rambutan profits might not be as high as Thai rambutan profits, but Vietnamese rambutan trees have been developed in Dong Nai for many years, and land and natural conditions are suitable for growing Vietnamese rambutan trees, the department said.
The department also echoed warnings about prices going down once more farmers switch to Thai rambutan crops.
In a related matter, Long Khanh rambutan received a geographical indication certificate in June, which would create more chances for local rambutan to enter new markets, the department said.
