Mekong Delta fruits farmers anxiously waiting for Tet market

As fruit exports via northern border gates have not turned smooth, wholesalers have eyed more to domestic markets.

Trien, a merchant trading and supplying fruits from the Mekong Delta provinces to Hanoi and Da Nang, said that because the exports of fruits like dragon fruit, jackfruit through northern border gates were not cleared, fruit traders shifted to domestic markets.

Because of abundant the supply of fruits, especially star apple and plum in Can Tho and Soc Trang, the fruit consumption is quite slow.

From the 10th of lunar December, An Phuoc plums at Con Tan Loc in Thot Not District, Can Tho City began to increase in price from VND7,000 VND to 11,000 per kg, but the price of Hong Dao Da plum still stood at VND6,000 per kg. Last year, the plum price was VND10,000 - 15,000 per kilo.

Meanwhile, all kinds of star apple – purple star apple, white star apple and Lo Ren star apple in Giai Xuan growing area in Phong Dien District or Truong Thanh area in Thoi Lai District of Can Tho City are fully ripe. They would serve the fruit demand for worship on the full moon day of Lunar December at the price of VND13,000-15,000 per kg, a slight increase of VND3,000 per kilo compared to those of normal days.  

During this time, longan in some localities is ripe and ready for the Tet market. In the past few days, the price of Ido longan has been increased by VND 11,000-12,000 per kilo instead of VND 7,000-8,000 per kilo as previous days.

Particularly, to Thai jackfruit, traders reported smooth export through Mong Cai Bordergate in Quang Ninh. However, jackfruit is sold at only VND7,000 - 8,000 per kg, ten times lower than the previous peak price. 

A fruit trader in Phong Dien district said that when the fruit is ripe in harvesting season, the gardener wanted to sell and they in cases were forced to sell their fruits at low prices. 

Agricultural materials, fertilizers, and plant protection drugs have to be purchased even if prices were high. 

“Unfortunately, this year the purchasing power is weak because of the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic. Supply is exceeding demand, prices are low. As for the traders, they only rent a temporary space to set up a barn for field purchases,” he said, adding that wholesalers did not need to go to the farmers. Growers have to harvest and transport fruits to the wholesalers’ places.

Waiting for New Year's Day

A month before collecting fruits for the Tet market, a trader named Tho drove to the Thanh Kieu pomelo growing area in Thoi An Ward, O Mon District to order beautiful fruits.

The large-fruited, bright yellow Thanh Kieu pomelo variety is very popular for displaying fruit trays during the three days of Tet celebration in Vietnamese families. However, the taste of this pomelo variety can't be compared with Nam Roi and green-skinned pomelos. 

Tho said that the price of Thanh Kieu pomelo in the garden is currently the lowest, about VNd7,000 - 8,000 per kg. The price could only be increased a little when Tet nears because of a better purchasing power.

Among the few gardeners who converted to grow green-skinned pomelo in Thoi An ward, Tung who is the owner of the pomelo farm said that the consumption was not good as expected.

The best green-skinned pomelo with a weight of over 1.2 kg per fruit is priced at VND25,000-28,000 per fruit, and the delicious and beautiful Nam Roi pomelo is about VND 5,000 per kilo lower than the green-skinned pomelo. In the Tet market of a few years ago, green-skinned pomelo’s prices topped VND40,000-50,000 per kg.

Responding to the information that in the next 60 days, Vietnamese pomelos will be exported to the US, opening a new door for growers who produce qualified products, pomelo farmers are not much interested in.

A farmer said that after longan, rambutan, star apple and mango were in turn exported to Europe and America. 

However, the fruits for export must meet strict quality requirements and growers must meet the standards of purchasing enterprises, he said, adding that export quantity was not much.

And some other gardeners, far more positive, think in a new direction. It's time for gardeners to supply products that the market wants. 

Once entering any market, farmers must accept competition.

In the last few years, in the Mekong Delta provinces such as Ben Tre, Tien Giang, Dong Thap and recently in Ke Sach district, many cooperatives have associated with businesses to purchase and export fruits. Growers have gradually changed to meet the requirements and standards of importers.