Chinese mangoes sell for 20-30% cheaper than local varieties

By Thi Ha July 31, 2024 | 01:30 am PT

Chinese mangoes shaped like a crow's beak are sold in wet markets and fruit stores. Photo by VnExpress/Thi Ha

Mangoes imported from China are selling fast in wet markets in HCMC for VND40,000-50,000 (US$1.58-1.98) per kilogram, 20-30% cheaper than local products.

This year, traders are importing a new type of mango from China that resembles a crow’s beak, in addition to the usual varieties.

Thanh, a fruit seller, said she has been selling up to 100 kilograms of the new product per day.

Hang, who runs a fruit stall on Go Vap District’s Pham Van Chieu Street, noted that she procures about 30 kilograms of various Chinese mangoes daily, which often sell out by noon.

Nguyen Binh Phuong, sales director of the company that runs the city’s Thu Duc Agricultural Product Market, said the wholesale market has imported 631 tons of Chinese mangoes.

Thanh, a wholesaler in HCMC’s Thu Duc City, said that imported mangoes are attracting buyers due to their variety and competitive prices.

"With low prices and good quality, Chinese mangoes are popular due to their eye-catching color and flavor. I wholesale dozens of tons every day," she said.

Loan, a mango farmer in Dong Thap Province, explained that Vietnamese varieties are more expensive this year due to lower output.

Demand in export markets is rising, so businesses are also purchasing more local mangoes, driving up prices, she said. Prices are expected to stabilize in September when the new mango season begins.

According to the General Department of Customs, Vietnam imported $400 million worth of fruits from China in the first half of 2024, up 28% year-on-year, with mangoes, plums, apples, and pears seeing a huge surge in imports.