Thai mangosteen prices have doubled in Vietnam from a year ago to a record VND250,000 (US$9.51) per kilogram amid a lack of supply.
Lan, a fruit vendor at a market in HCMC’s An Hoi Dong Ward, said imports from Thai have never been as low as now.
“Last year I could procure several hundred kilograms at a time, but now I can only find 50-100 kilograms.”
Thai mangosteens on sale at a store in Tan Dinh Ward, Ho Chi Minh City. Photo by Cuong Nguyen |
Hoa, a fruit importer at the Thu Duc agriculture wholesale market, Thai output has been hit by unfavorable weather while Thailand’s border conflict with Cambodia has disrupted shipment to Vietnam.
Customs data shows agricultural imports from Thailand have declined in recent months.
Cuong, who owns a fruit shop on Hai Ba Trung Street in Tan Dinh Ward, said many customers are buying the Thai fruit despite high prices due to a lack of options.
The main season in Vietnam is from May to August with some areas staggering their harvest this year to last through September.
The prices of imported fruits, which took over the market in October after local supplies ran out, have risen fourfold since the local season peak in July.
Thailand is the world’s leading exporter of mangosteen. It produces around 408,000 tonnes of the fruit annually, of which 90% is exported. China is the top buyer, followed by Vietnam and some other Asian markets.
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