Vegetables and fruits waiting for good prices, waiting for buyers

(VLO) Fruit and vegetable prices have decreased since after Tet, gardeners are struggling to find outlets, while small traders are worried about the risk of unsold goods, affecting business capital.

Abundant fruit supply, falling prices, weak purchasing power.

Many fruits and vegetables are on sale

According to some fruit traders, abundant supply while consumption is slow has caused prices of many types of fruit to drop sharply after Tet, with some items falling by up to 50% compared to the previous month.

At Vinh Long market, Hoa Loc mangoes from 70,000-80,000 VND/kg are now only 25,000-40,000 VND/kg; tangerines have decreased from 50,000 VND/kg to 20,000 VND/kg; green-skinned grapefruits range from 15,000-25,000 VND/kg.

Prices of popular fruits such as watermelon, custard apple, and dragon fruit have all decreased, of which An Phuoc plum is currently at 12,000-15,000 VND/kg, 5,000-10,000 VND/kg lower than the end of last year.

Grade 1 Ri 6 durian is now selling for 70,000-100,000 VND/kg, down nearly 50% compared to the same period last year; Grade 1 Thai durian is commonly priced at 100,000-120,000 VND/kg; bulk durian is 50,000-60,000 VND/kg; rice durian ranges from 150,000-250,000 VND/kg, depending on quality.

Ms. Le Thi Tuyet (a trader at Vinh Long market) said: “For about 2 weeks now, the prices of many types of fruit have decreased by 15-20%. Due to abundant supply, fruits are in harvest season such as star apple, mango, plum… while others compete with cheap imported fruits, and some types have decreased in price because they cannot be exported.”

Having just harvested the first crop of An Phuoc plums with a yield of 1.5 tons/acre, Mr. Le Ngoc Bich - Director of An Thoi Agricultural Cooperative (Tan An Thanh Commune, Binh Tan District) said that the price of An Phuoc plums and rock peaches has dropped sharply this year, currently only under 10,000 VND/kg, down more than 50% compared to the same period last year.

The main reason is the erratic weather that causes plums to bear fruit late. Because plums are usually priced well thanks to being supplied to the market before Tet. However, this year, plums ripen right on Tet, "collide" with many other types of fruit, so the price drops. "There are gardens where traders only buy for 5,000-6,000 VND/kg, so people consider this a loss," said Mr. Bich.

However, Mr. Bich hopes that with good care techniques, plums can continue to bear fruit until May, when prices can recover, helping gardeners recover their capital.

Similar to fruits, vegetables also saw a sharp drop in price. Mr. Nguyen Van Tam, Director of Ngai Tu Vegetable Cooperative (Ngai Tu Commune, Tam Binh District), said that many households have switched from ineffective rice cultivation to vegetables, leading to an increase in cultivated area and abundant supply.

In addition, erratic weather and unseasonal rains affect the growth of vegetables, causing harvest times to be not as expected, leading to a sharp drop in vegetable prices.

Currently, the price of cucumbers at the garden is only 10,000 VND/kg, bitter melon 7,000 VND/kg, squash 5,000 VND/kg, down 50% compared to before Tet. "The supply is abundant but the price of vegetables is too low, while the cost of seeds, fertilizers, care and harvesting are all high. With the current price, it is not enough to cover production costs, 8 out of 10 households are losing money" - Mr. Tam shared.

Weak purchasing power

According to Mr. Nguyen Van Tam, if on normal days, the cooperative supplies about 10 tons of vegetables per day, now this number is only half.

To avoid product congestion, in addition to fixed supply to major wholesale markets in Ho Chi Minh City such as Binh Dien, Thu Duc, Hoc Mon, the cooperative has flexibly sought additional outlets at small markets in Can Tho, Soc Trang, Long An... which partly helps cooperative members feel secure in production.

Vegetable prices at the market continue to fall sharply.

The slow consumption of goods is also evident at the markets. As soon as the sun rises, the vegetable market is already deserted. The busiest market sessions only last from 7-9am, after which the vendors sit and wait for customers.

At a vegetable stall on Tran Phu Street, Ms. Mai Thi Thuy Oanh - a trader at Vinh Long City Market (Point 2, Ward 4), shared: "For the past month, the prices of many types of vegetables have dropped sharply, watercress is only 6,000-7,000 VND/kg, Chinese cabbage is 10,000 VND/3 bunches, purchasing power has decreased by more than 50%.

I have been selling vegetables for nearly 20 years, and have never been as cautious as I was at the beginning of this year. I dare not import more than ten kilos a day for fear of unsold goods or losses. Vegetables are sold for little profit, but when they wilt, I have to throw them away.

Next door, Ms. Le Hong Ngoc, a fruit vendor, also lamented the slow purchasing power after Tet. According to her, people are tending to tighten their spending, considering fruit not an essential item, so they buy less. In addition, increasingly fierce competition also makes business more difficult.

To reduce risks, retailers calculate and balance the amount of imported goods, limiting inventory that causes losses. Meanwhile, gardeners also monitor market developments and adjust output appropriately. In addition, linking with businesses and cooperatives is an important solution to help stabilize output and avoid price pressure. Promoting deep processing is also a necessary requirement today, not only helping to extend preservation time but also increasing product value.

“Now, not only shops and market stalls, but also sidewalk retail points and street vendors are numerous. People buy when they find it convenient, making it even more difficult for small traders in the market. Not to mention, cheap imported fruits are becoming more and more popular, with beautiful designs and long shelf life, so they attract more buyers,” said Ms. Ngoc.

The supply of fruits and vegetables is currently quite abundant, with many types of fruits in season such as star apple, plum, mango, etc., along with abundant green vegetables at reduced prices, giving consumers more choices.

However, according to some traders, retail prices at the market are still higher than prices at the garden due to many intermediaries, limiting purchasing power.

Although farmers have proactively spread out crops to reduce consumption pressure during peak season, unstable prices and weak purchasing power still make it difficult for farmers to find outlets, while traders are hesitant to import goods.

Article and photos: THAO TIEN

Source: https://baovinhlong.vn/kinh-te/202502/rau-cu-trai-cay-cho-gia-tot-ngong-nguoi-mua-410648c/