Early season young crocodiles are expensive but still attract customers

At Dong Xa market and markets around Cau Giay area, Hanoi, according to Cong Thuong Newspaper, early season apricots are priced quite high, around 120,000-140,000 VND/kg, as expensive as imported fruits or pork. According to traders, these are young apricots harvested from rural areas on the outskirts of Hanoi.

On the online market, young crocodiles are sold for 100,000-150,000 VND/kg and are still bought by many customers to enjoy. Not only sold by weight, many people also sell crocodiles soaked in fish sauce for nearly 200,000 VND/jar.

Although early season star fruit is expensive, many people buy it because the young star fruit meat is soft and the seeds can be eaten, many people buy it to prepare dishes such as star fruit soaked in fish sauce, star fruit jam, star fruit cooked in sour soup... Meanwhile, in the main season, around June-July, star fruit costs from 30,000-40,000 VND/kg.

Dragon fruit prices increase

For more than a month now, dragon fruit prices in many growing areas in Tien Giang, Long An, and Binh Thuan have been at high levels.

Mr. Le Duong, a dragon fruit buyer in Binh Thuan, told the Ho Chi Minh City Law Newspaper that the purchase price on May 10 for white-fleshed dragon fruit was from 20,000-23,000 VND/kg for grade 1 (depending on the warehouse) and 15,000-18,000 VND/kg for grade 2. For red-fleshed dragon fruit, the purchase price was at 37,000-40,000 VND/kg for grade 1.

According to Mr. Duong, this price is much higher than in March and 20% higher than at the beginning of the year.

The main reason for the increase in dragon fruit prices is that domestic supply is limited while China's import demand is high.

Gold shops stop selling, people buy and sell gold right on the street

At noon on May 11, after the gold shop stopped selling, people were seen buying and selling gold on the roadside as busily as buying vegetables at the market, regardless of the risk of quality.

Accordingly, the “brokers” approach customers right in front of the gold shops to offer gold bars and gold rings for sale. The buying and selling prices are agreed upon by both parties. After that, the buyer transfers the amount to be paid to the “brokers” and receives the gold without any receipts or documents.

Talking about the situation of buying and selling gold "hand over hand" right on the street, economic expert Associate Professor Dr. Dinh Trong Thinh said: "That's too risky". Mr. Thinh recommends that people need to be more careful with this type of transaction. Because the technology for making fake gold and counterfeit gold is now very sophisticated. When buying and selling without checking carefully, it is easy to encounter risks. (See details)

buy wine 2.jpg
People still line up to buy gold. Photo: Tien Anh

Sugarcane juice and fresh coconut water prices increase sharply

The increasing demand for coconut water and sugarcane juice by people every day has pushed up the price of input materials.

Mr. Cao Ba Dang Khoa, acting Secretary General of the Vietnam Coconut Association, informed Ho Chi Minh City Law that compared to the first quarter of 2024, the price of drinking coconut has increased by more than 30%, to about 8,000-10,000 VND/fruit. The price of raw coconut (dried coconut) has also increased by about 40%, to 60,000-65,000 VND/dozen for traders and 75,000-85,000 VND/dozen for factories.

Along with coconut, sugarcane prices have also increased. At a sugarcane warehouse on Nguyen Van Cong Street (Go Vap, Ho Chi Minh City), for more than 2 weeks now, a notice has been posted announcing an increase in sugarcane juice prices from 15,000 VND/liter to 18,000 VND/liter due to high raw material prices. At the same time, the selling price of sugarcane juice per cup has increased from 9,000 VND to 10,000 VND per cup.

Pork prices increase sharply, 'big guys' massively increase herds

A report by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development shows that the average price of live pigs in the Northern region in April 2024 increased by 2,500-5,000 VND/kg compared to March, fluctuating between 56,000-61,000 VND/kg in Nam Dinh and Hung Yen.

Currently, the price of live pigs in localities fluctuates from 61,000-65,000 VND/kg.

The “big guys” in the livestock industry are also increasing their herds, aiming for high profits, even tripling them because pork sells for high prices. (See details)

Coffee prices continue to plummet, 'evaporating' nearly 40,000 VND/kg

The downward trend of coffee prices on international exchanges and in Vietnam has not stopped. On May 8, in the domestic market, the price of green coffee continued to fall sharply, down to 95,000-96,000 VND/kg.
Since the beginning of May, coffee prices have fallen from a peak of VND134,400 to VND95,700/kg, a loss of nearly VND39,000, equivalent to a decrease of 28.5%.

According to experts, coffee prices have plummeted in recent days due to regulation according to the world market. In addition, in the coffee capital of the Central Highlands, "golden rain" has appeared, relieving the psychology of crop failure. (See details)

Official export of bird's nest to France

Following the success of exporting bird's nests to the Chinese market at the end of 2023, according to VTV, a company in Nha Trang has just had its first shipment arrive in the French market at the end of April 2024. This is the first shipment of Vietnamese bird's nests to be officially exported to the French market.

According to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, currently 42/63 provinces nationwide raise swiftlets with over 22,000 swiftlet houses. Vietnam's bird's nest output is about 150 tons. Since the beginning of the year, businesses have continuously increased export orders as well as strengthened links and investments with people to develop the swiftlet flock.