4 cents each! Prices of Thai scented coconuts plummet, Vietnam grabs Chinese market share

As of October 21, 2025, the field purchase price for Songkhla province's scented coconuts has dropped to 2-3 Thai Baht per piece (approximately 0.44-0.66 yuan per piece), while the average production cost is 4-5 Thai Baht per piece. Some areas have even seen buyers refusing to purchase, leading to coconuts being left unharvested. Based on Thailand's annual production of approximately 500 million pieces, for every 1 Thai Baht drop in price, the entire industry will incur a loss of about 500 million Thai Baht (approximately 109 million yuan). The primary cause of this round of price collapse is that after Vietnam signed an export agreement with China in 2024, Vietnamese coconuts have officially entered the Chinese market. This agreement allows Vietnam to directly export fresh coconuts to China, which had previously been the main export destination for Thai coconuts. Vietnam's competitive advantage comes from lower transportation costs due to geographical proximity, large-scale ...