Price of plums at the beginning of the season

The main plum season lasts from April to July every year. But from the end of March, the shops have imported the first plum to sell. This year, the scarce supply of this fruit increases, each place one price.

Hoang Anh of Hai Ba Trung (Hanoi), said that the early plums had increased by 5,000-10,000 VND per kg compared to last year. Beautiful plums, dark red fruit, each kilogram has about 25-30 fruits, cost 150,000 VND. The fruit is less than 90,000 VND per kg.

“Each store only imports 5-7 kg of beautiful types, customers buy all the day,” she said.

In Ho Chi Minh City, the price of the first plum season is more expensive due to the cost of transportation and storage. Traditional markets sell plums usually from 200,000 VND per kg. Large, red fruit, while white chalk is more than 300,000 VND per kg, but scarce. Customers must book in advance at imported fruit stores for a week to have goods.

Ms. Minh, owner of an imported fruit shop in District 1 (Ho Chi Minh City), said that plums transported to the South were mostly green, with more sour taste than sweet. Although the domestic fruit group has the highest price, this item is still popular with many customers.

Not only in the store, on the online market, the price of plums at the beginning of the season also fluctuated strongly. Each kilogram of this type is for sale from 120,000 to 200,000 VND, some places even up to 450,000-500,000 VND, more expensive than imported goods.

At Thu Duc agricultural wholesale market, only 2-3 focal points of this fruit trading, the output of a few quintals per day. Wholesale pricing at the beginning of the season here ranges from 150,000-190,000 VND per kg, but is still not enough to meet the needs. The representative of the wholesale market said that by the end of April, when the supply of plums was more abundant, the price would decrease.

Son La – a famous locality planted plums, with an area of ​​about 12,000 hectares, providing 80,000 tons each year. This fruit is grown mainly in Moc Chau, Yen Chau, Van Ho, Son La and Mai Son city. According to gardeners, plum production early this year decreased due to adverse weather.

Mr. Tran Van Hong, Director of Tien Dat Cooperative in Long Phieng commune (Yen Chau, Son La), said that at the beginning of this season, the harvest was less than last year, only a few quintals of households, a peak, only one ton. Any garden house is cultivated according to Global GAP standards (good practice globally), good plum quality, higher price. Beautiful plums are purchased in the garden 95,000-100,000 VND per kg, medium-sized about 60,000-80,000 VND.

“The first plum season is few so every type is sought after, no inventory,” Mr. Hong shared.

The plum is a famous fruit of the Northwestern mountains, grown in some provinces and cities like Ha Giang, Moc Chau, Sapa and the most famous is Son La. The advantage of plum is fresh, crispy, sweet and has a characteristic sour taste, so it is preferred than imported goods.

2023 is the first year Ruby Son La plum – the type harvested from ancient plum gardens in Na Ka valley, Moc Chau district, Son La province – exported to Hong Kong, then Singapore, Malaysia and Cambodia. Last year, the export market was expanded, with 10 tons to Germany, England and France.