Each kilogram of Son La plums, 18-25 fruits, is sold at many stores for 300,000 VND per kilogram, more expensive than imported Australian goods.
According to records in Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi, since the beginning of March, many stores have started importing and selling the first-season plums. Accordingly, each kilogram of grade 1 fruit (18-25 fruits) costs 300,000 VND; 25-35 fruits are 250,000-270,000 VND.
Traders are offering grade 2 and 3 products at VND80,000-130,000 per kilogram. This price is up about 5% compared to the same period last year, and is VND20,000-30,000 more expensive than imported products from Australia and Chile.
Ms. Quynh Nhu, a fruit shop owner in Hanoi, said that the plum season is just beginning, so the quantity is not much, the price is still high. Selected products, picked from the garden in Moc Chau, cost 250,000 VND per kilogram (excluding shipping costs). Because the products are out of season, Ms. Nhu can only import a few dozen kilograms at a time.
Ngoc An, a fruit shop owner in Hanoi, also said that her shop only imports 40-50kg of grade 1 fruit every day from a garden in Kim Chung, Phieng Khoai (Son La). "The quantity of plums at the beginning of the season this year is less than in previous years, so customers cannot always order them," said Ms. An.
However, according to Ms. Nhu, the price is high but customers are still willing to pay despite the dominance of foreign plums in the market. "The first time I sold this fruit in the off-season, I was worried that the high price would make customers not buy, but many days it was still sold out," she said.
Grade 1 plums at a store in Hanoi. Photo: Ngoc An
The advantage of the plum is that it is fresh, crunchy, sweet and has a characteristic sour taste, so it is less boring to eat than imported products. On the other hand, this type only has one season each year, so it is highly anticipated by many customers.
Ms. Nhu said that this year's plums are bigger and more uniform than previous years. Especially, even though it is early in the season, the fruit is sweet, not bitter or astringent.
Son La - the most famous locality growing plums, with an area of over 11,730 hectares. According to Mr. Ha Nhu Hue - Director of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of Son La, this year plum output may be low, reaching about 80,000 tons. This level is down 5,000 tons compared to last year.
Off-season plums are scarce. During this time, the yield of each garden is about a few dozen kilograms to a hundred kilograms per day, plus increased care costs, so the price is high.
Mr. Nguyen Van Chung, a plum trader in Son La, said that off-season plums are grown more than in previous years, but the weather is not favorable, so they bear fruit less. In particular, with selected products, the supply is not enough to meet demand, so the price is expensive. In mid-April, when the main season begins, plum prices will cool down.
Plum is a famous fruit of the Northwest mountainous region, grown in many provinces such as Ha Giang, Moc Chau, Sapa and most famously Son La. The main plum season lasts from April to July.
Hong Chau
Source link
Comment (0)