Chilean cherries arrive in Vietnam at 'unprecedentedly low prices'

Chilean cherries are being sold for only 149,000 VND per kg, the lowest price in many years.

A survey at traditional markets, online fruit stores and some supermarkets in Ho Chi Minh City showed that Chilean cherries were flooding the market with many different prices. Before Tet, this fruit cost 200,000-350,000 VND per kg, now it is only 149,000-250,000 VND per kg (depending on size). This price is down 20-25% compared to the same period last year.

At Ba Chieu market (Binh Thanh), small Chilean cherries cost 150,000 VND per kilogram, while larger ones cost 180,000-220,000 VND per kilogram. Ms. Lan, a vendor here, said that Chilean cherries have never been as cheap as they are now.

Cherries are being sold by a shop owner in District 1 for 149,000 VND per kilogram. Screenshot

Similarly, at a supermarket on Cach Mang Thang 8 Street, Tan Binh District, honey cherries are on sale for 150,000 VND per kilogram, and if you buy a 5-kg box, it will cost only 690,000 VND, or 138,000 VND per kilogram. Staff there said the price has dropped sharply due to the abundant supply from Chile. After Tet, purchasing power is weak while cherries are perishable, so the price has been reduced to push goods quickly.

Explaining the price drop, Mr. Nguyen Van Thanh, owner of a fruit import business in Ho Chi Minh City, said that this year’s crop of Chilean cherries was harvested in large quantities, while the Chinese market - the main consumer - tightened quality control. Many export businesses were forced to switch to other markets, including Vietnam, with competitive prices.

The Saltoro, carrying 1,300 containers of Chilean cherries, had a technical problem near Micronesia on January 13, delaying its journey by nearly two weeks. This was during the Lunar New Year, China’s biggest consumption season. The incident indirectly caused cherry prices to plummet. In addition, Chilean cherry production this year increased by 60% compared to last year, further increasing the oversupply.

Cherries are sold at a traditional market in Ho Chi Minh City. Photo: Thi Ha

According to the customs agency, in 2024, Vietnam spent 48.5 million USD importing cherries from many countries, a slight decrease of 0.7% compared to the previous year. In December alone, the import volume suddenly increased sharply again thanks to cheap goods from Chile.

Source: https://baoquangninh.vn/cherry-chile-ve-viet-nam-re-chua-tung-co-3344042.html