Thailand surpasses China to dominate Vietnam’s fruit market

By Hong Chau, Ha Thu   May 18, 2016 | 11:02 pm PT
Thailand surpasses China to dominate Vietnam’s fruit market
Photo by VnExpress/Hong Chau
Despite high prices, fruit from Thailand has flooded the local market to make up 38.18 percent of Vietnam’s fruit import value in the first quarter of 2016.

Data from the Vietnam Fruit and Vegetables Association showed that Vietnam’s fruit imports touched $156.8 million during the first quarter of this year, rising 42.5 percent against the same period of last year.

The import value of Thai produce was about $60 million, surging 125 percent on-year. After ranking second in the list of Vietnam’s top fruit providers last year, Thailand has bypassed China, which saw its share fall from 27.7 to 25 percent.

Previously, Vietnam mainly imported fruits like sweet tamarind and bonbons (also known as langsat or langzones in English) from Thailand, but now the country also favors other products such as durian, mangoes and green apples.

A representative from Thu Duc wholesale market in Ho Chi Minh City told VnExpress: “The volume of fruits imported from Thailand has leaped, with bonbons being imported all year round in 2015 and tamarind from the end of 2015 to the early months of 2016.”

Hoa, a fruit trader at Tan Dinh market in District 1, said that Vietnamese consumers are so keen on Thai fruits that she imports hundreds of kilograms per day.

However, some types of Thailand fruits sold in Vietnam have no proof of origin, especially those traded through border areas between Vietnam and Cambodia.

The owner of a fruit stall in Ho Chi Minh City said: “Many traders offer Thai fruits at attractive prices but I decline if they can’t prove the origin of their products. Customers should be careful because not all Thai fruits are good quality.”

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