Specialty Mekong Delta mango prices double

At traditional markets in Ho Chi Minh City, the mangoes are sold for VND150,000-160,000 (US$6.18-6.59) per kilogram.

Oanh, a resident in the city’s Binh Thanh District, said she bought Hoa Loc mangoes at the price of VND160,000 per kilogram on Friday.

"This is the highest price since the beginning of this year and double the price of two months ago," she said.

At traditional markets in Ho Chi Minh City, Hoa Loc mangoes are sold for VND160,000 (US$6.7) per kilogram. Photo by Ngoc Nguyen

According to the Dong Thap Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, the price of Hoa Loc mango sold at gardens stands at VND90,000 per kilogram, up VND5,000 against last week.

Garden owners in Dong Thap Province, home to over 14,000 hectares of mango farms with an annual output of nearly 137,000 tons of the fruit, said mango is now off-season with low output, so its price is increasing.

In addition, heavy rain this year affected flowering trees, making the fruit’s output drop by 30% against previous crops.

Over 8,200 hectares of mango in Dong Thap have been granted certified growing area codes to better serve domestic and foreign markets, including China, Australia, the United States, New Zealand, South Korea and Japan.

Hoa Loc mango, a Mekong Delta specialty, was the first fruit in the region to be granted a certified geographical indication.

Vietnam earned $3.45 billion from exporting vegetables and fruits in the first eight months of this year, posting a year-on-year rise of 57.5%, according to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.

The country is expected to reel in over $4 billion exporting fruit and vegetables this year, up 20% against last year.