High-quality Australian lobsters are arriving at the market on the occasion of Lunar New Year, at a rare low price.

Australian lobsters weigh from 1-3kg, even 5kg. The most outstanding feature of this lobster is its eye-catching red shell, firm and sweet meat. This is also a high-class seafood in Australia.

In recent years, Australian lobsters have appeared in the Vietnamese market. Accordingly, Western Australian lobsters usually cost from 1.7-2 million VND/kg; while South Australian lobsters cost from 2-2.3 million VND/kg, depending on the time.

Despite its high price, this imported seafood is still popular among the rich to make steamed, grilled, sashimi dishes...

In the days leading up to the Lunar New Year, Australian lobsters are being sold in abundance on online markets and seafood stores. Notably, the price of this type of lobster has suddenly dropped sharply, contrary to the trend of rising commodity prices in the run-up to Tet.

Talking to PV. VietNamNet , Mr. Le Anh Tu - owner of a high-end seafood store in Hoang Mai ( Hanoi ) - admitted that Australian lobsters are at an unprecedentedly low price.

Australian lobsters are being sold on the market at quite cheap prices. (Photo: Phuc Seafood)

Mr. Tu's shop has been importing and selling Australian lobsters for several years now. In Australia, the best season to catch lobsters for meat is from November until June of the following year. This means that this is the main fishing season, the supply is abundant so the price has also cooled down. However, compared to the same period last year, the price of Australian lobsters is currently relatively cheap.

“This is the first time I have sold live Australian lobsters for less than 1.5 million VND/kg,” said Mr. Tu. However, the amount of lobster consumed is still very slow.

According to Mr. Tu, Lunar New Year is the peak season for consumption of high-end seafood. Because people not only buy it for year-end parties but also as gifts. This year, the economy is difficult, families are tightening their spending, so the consumption of seafood, including Australian lobster, has decreased sharply.

“Last year, near Tet, there were so many orders that shippers couldn’t keep up with the delivery. This Tet, the amount of seafood sold has decreased by about 40-60% compared to the same period last year,” Mr. Tu shared.

tom hum uc.jpg — Despite the low price, Australian lobster consumption is still quite slow (Photo: Anh Tu)

Selling Australian lobsters weighing 1-4 kg each for only 1.4 million VND/kg, Mr. Bui Huy Phuc, owner of a seafood store in Tay Ho (Hanoi), commented that at this price, Australian lobsters are only more expensive than Alaskan lobsters but much cheaper than other types of lobsters on the market.

However, the low prices still didn’t sell. Mr. Phuc remembers that in the last week of December last year, his store sold out nearly 200 Australian lobsters. On December 28, many customers placed orders but there were no more.

It is now December 26, but orders are still sluggish. On average, only about 10 shrimps are sold each day.

“Customers only buy the lobsters because they are cheap,” he said. Every time the lobsters are advertised for sale at 650,000 VND/kg, customers compete to buy them. This morning, there were 4 Australian lobsters, and as soon as they were advertised, customers bought them all.

In the market, live Australian lobsters weighing 1-1.2kg/each are priced from 1.05-1.25 million VND/kg, those weighing 1.2-3kg/each are priced from 1.15-1.5 million VND/kg. Some stores even sell them for less than 1 million VND/kg.

Change the taste of Tet, main course is Australian lobster, add Spanish pork leg

Spanish ham, known as the best pork in the world , which used to be expensive, is now cheaper than ever. Meanwhile, the specialty of whole wild boar is also quite cheap but few people buy it.

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