Many people think that imported fruits are luxury goods with sky-high prices. However, the products have become cheaper recently. 

At a large supermarket chain in Hanoi, 13 kinds of apple imports are available. Of these, only four sold for over VND50,000, while the others were VND40,000-50,000 per kilogram.

According to the General Department of Customs (GDC), Vietnam spent $884.3 million to import vegetables and fruits, an increase of 27.9 percent compared with the same period last year. 

Chinese fruits are selling very well in the domestic market. Previously, people did not buy these because they thought that Chinese products were not safe with high chemical residue. At that time, sellers had to introduce Chinese fruits as Vietnamese or American for easier sales.

But over the last three years, Chinese products have appeared again at fruit shops and traditional markets, and despite high prices, they have been selling well.

A box of nine peaches from Beijing, weighing 2.7-3 kilogram, is now selling at VND480,000, while the retail price is VND185,000 per kilogram.

Asked why Vietnamese consumers bought Chinese fruits, the owner of a fruit shop said that the fruits were high-quality. Meanwhile, unsafe fruits are cheap products traded over border gates. She sells hundreds of kilograms of Chinese fruits a day.

Dang Phuc Nguyen, secretary general of the Vietnam Vegetables and Fruit Association, confirmed that fruit imports from China are on the rise. In previous years, Chinese fruits were for mass consumption and sold at traditional markets at very low prices. But in recent years, Chinese product quality has improved to satisfy consumers’ requirements.

A report of the MInistry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) shows that output of all kinds of fruits in H1 increased, while exports to China, the biggest market, fell by 34 percent.

As exports fall, fruits have been put up for sale in the domestic market. However, they now have to compete fiercely with imports, which are getting cheaper.

Le Thanh Tung, deputy director of the Department of Crop Production, cited FAO’s report as saying that fruit consumption is 68-70 kilograms per head per annum. With a total population of 96 million and 15-16 million travelers annually, Vietnam is a large market, so farmers and businesses should not miss this market. 

However, he said that Vietnamese fruit quality needs improvement to avoid losses in the domestic market.

Tam An