Thai Ruby red-fleshed pomelos are outshining Vietnamese varieties despite their high price.

Despite costing twice as much as Vietnamese pomelos, Ruby red-fleshed pomelos imported from Thailand are quite popular due to their attractive appearance and superior quality.

Hoang Anh, a resident of District 2 (Ho Chi Minh City), who usually orders imported ruby pomelos, said that this Tet holiday, instead of buying Vietnamese pomelos, she will choose Thai pomelos, the kind weighing 2 kg each and costing 1.5 million VND.

"Last year I bought Vietnamese products to show my support, but when I ate them, they tasted bitter instead of the sweet, refreshing taste of Thai products," Ms. Hoang Anh explained.

Similarly, Ms. Hanh from District 5 said that suppliers quoted prices of 60,000-70,000 VND per kilogram for Vietnamese Ruby pomelos, but the supply was "sometimes available, sometimes not" and the appearance was not as expected, so she chose Thai pomelos instead.

"I'm buying them to offer as sacrifices during Tet, so they not only have to be delicious but also have to look nice," said Ms. Hanh.

Ruby pomelos from Thailand are imported by many businesses for sale during Tet (Lunar New Year). Photo: Kieu Chung — Ruby pomelos from Thailand are imported by many businesses for sale during Tet (Lunar New Year). Photo: *Kieu Chung*

As an importer of Thai goods, Ms. Kieu Chung said that this year she imported Ruby pomelos from Thailand early due to increased demand. Ruby pomelos have a beautiful and uniform appearance, so at the beginning of the season, first-grade fruits can fetch prices up to 400,000 VND per fruit (200,000 VND per kilogram).

Having imported thousands of Ruby pomelos for this year's Tet holiday, Ms. Han said that many domestic suppliers also offer domestically grown Ruby pomelos at competitive prices. However, the quality is not as expected, and they are unsuitable for Tet displays because the skin is not as green and glossy as the Thai variety. Therefore, when many customers placed orders for Thai pomelos, she decided to import a larger quantity than the domestic ones.

"Ruby pomelos of grade 1 are quite well-proportioned, with a smooth green skin and a bright red flesh inside, so customers really like them. Besides their sweet and refreshing taste, this type of pomelo also symbolizes good luck for Tet offerings," Ms. Han said.

According to traders, the reason Ruby pomelos from Thailand remain expensive is due to increased domestic demand. Furthermore, the appearance and quality of Thai pomelos are still superior to Vietnamese ones, so even with a selling price twice as high, they still attract customers. In addition, local pomelo farmers lack the knowledge of proper cultivation techniques, resulting in inconsistent quality and sweetness after harvest.

Surveys conducted in orchards in the Central Highlands and several provinces in the Mekong Delta show that many households are cultivating this variety, and some have already harvested the fruit. Currently, the selling price ranges from 60,000 to 70,000 VND per kilogram, but traders are not enthusiastic due to low demand. Most traders are offering prices similar to those for green pomelo.

According to the Departments of Agriculture , the domestically grown Ruby pomelo is only being cultivated on a trial basis and has not yet been mass-produced, so it has not yet met the expected standards. To produce fruit with beautiful appearance, high uniformity, and superior quality like Thai varieties, farmers need advanced cultivation and care techniques.

Hong Chau

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