During the fruit harvest, some weep, others rejoice.
With only one day left until the Dragon Boat Festival (5th day of the 5th lunar month), this is also the peak fruit harvest season. Fruit prices have dropped significantly, except for some beautiful specialty varieties or those suitable for export, which have maintained or even increased in price.
According to Ms. Nguyen Thi Thanh Ha, deputy director of business at Tam Binh Thu Duc wholesale agricultural market (Ho Chi Minh City), it is currently the peak season, so the market is overflowing with fruit, with a production volume of about 1,500 – 1,800 tons per night, and exceptionally up to 2,000 tons on some nights. Some of the most abundant types are mandarin oranges, guavas, custard apples, mangosteens, and rambutans. The quantity arriving at the wholesale market does not fully reflect the supply, as observations at retail market stalls show that the fruit is not only diverse but also piled high. Even on the streets, it is not uncommon to see "mountains" of fruit overflowing onto the sidewalks and rolling onto the road. In residential areas, more and more fruit shops are appearing, advertising themselves as "selling directly from the orchards" at cheap prices. Some specialty fruits have also seen price reductions, such as mangosteen (12-14 fruits per kilogram) priced at around 30,000 VND, Hoa Loc mangoes (two fruits per kilogram) priced at 40,000-45,000 VND, and Cai Mon durian priced from 20,000-25,000 VND/kg.
In the Mekong Delta, many fruits in their peak harvest season are experiencing drastic price drops. The price of Cat Chu mangoes, a specialty of Cao Lanh (Dong Thap province), was 23,000 VND/kg at the beginning of March 2013. However, this attractive price didn't last long; more than two months later, the price dropped to around 15,000 VND/kg, and currently, the purchase price at the orchard is only 2,000-5,000 VND/kg. Huynh Vinh Le, an orchard owner in Tinh Thoi commune, Cao Lanh city, said: "The price of mangoes is so low that many orchard owners are letting the fruit fall to the ground without bothering to harvest." Mr. Le Van Tam, chairman of the Dong Thap Orchard Association, believes: "The reason for the low mango prices is that many orchards are in their peak harvest season." Furthermore, according to Mr. Tam, mango prices fluctuate frequently due to market demand.
Meanwhile, in Vinh Long, the price of cut Nam Roi pomelos (over 1kg/fruit) purchased directly from the orchards has also decreased by 5,000 VND/kg compared to last month and is currently fluctuating around 30,000 VND/kg. Mr. Nguyen Van Nghia, chairman of the My Hoa Nam Roi pomelo cooperative (Binh Minh district – Vinh Long), said: “At the time of high prices, many orchard owners cut and sold a portion of their pomelos even while they were still green. Harvesting in pursuit of high prices has led to an oversupply of pomelos at wholesale markets, causing prices to fall…”
In Tra Vinh and Soc Trang, mangosteen, which cost 30,000 VND/kg at the beginning of the season more than a month ago, is now only around 22,000-25,000 VND/kg. In Can Tho and Vinh Long, Thai rambutan is priced at 15,000 VND/kg, while regular rambutan is overflowing onto the roadsides at retail prices of 6,000-10,000 VND/kg, a decrease of more than 10,000 VND/kg compared to more than a month ago. Therefore, the purchase price at the orchards in many places is only around 5,000 VND/kg.
Mr. Bui Thanh Liem, head of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of Cho Lach district (Ben Tre province), assessed: "Besides the seasonal factors according to natural conditions, many orchard owners also manipulate their trees to bear fruit for harvest around the Dragon Boat Festival to take advantage of higher prices and participate in Ben Tre's annual fruit festival, which is also held around this time." Therefore, supply increases, overwhelming the market.
During the Dragon Boat Festival, people prefer red fruits. Red-fleshed dragon fruit is currently being bought up by traders in Binh Thuan at 32,000 VND/kg for export to China, compared to the usual price of 24,000-27,000 VND/kg. This type of fruit has a very beautiful skin, making it highly sought after. In Ho Chi Minh City, red-fleshed dragon fruit has become difficult to find; at Hoc Mon market, grade 3 red-fleshed dragon fruit (tiny fruit) is already 15,000 VND/kg (compared to 7,000 VND/kg in Binh Thuan).
The Dragon Boat Festival is an opportunity for small traders to manipulate prices. Some traders believe that fruit prices will increase until the Dragon Boat Festival, but then decrease again due to oversupply. The price increase mainly applies to premium quality fruit, different from the kind Ms. Hong bought. At Ba Chieu Market (Binh Thanh District), round lychees with small seeds are selling for 30,000 VND/kg, an increase of 3,000 VND/kg. At Binh Thoi Market (District 11), there is also the phenomenon of premium quality fruits being sold at a uniform price of 60,000 VND/kg, such as custard apples, longan, and Hoa Loc mangoes…
Some fruit vendors at Binh Thoi Market (District 11) believe that with the Dragon Boat Festival (Tet Doan Ngo) just a few days away, prices are expected to increase slightly by 3,000-5,000 VND/kg, and then decrease again after the festival. Ms. Lan, a fruit vendor at Binh Thoi Market, said: "The increase will depend on the situation. It's Tet!"
According to baocongthuong - PH
