Late-season plums attract customers, traders compete to 'make a fortune'

Late season plums at super attractive prices

At the end of May, Son La plums enter the main season, bringing fresh, delicious, plump plums at reasonable prices, attracting a large number of consumers across the country.

Thanks to the application of advanced farming techniques such as "lowering branches to create canopy" and complying with clean production processes according to VietGAP and GlobalGAP standards, Son La plums this year have outstanding quality. The plums have a sweet taste, are crunchy, juicy and have eye-catching colors, meeting the increasing demand of the market.

According to a survey by reporters from the Industry and Trade Newspaper, at traditional markets in Hanoi , it is not difficult to see carts full of plums with a characteristic purple-blue color, sold in large boxes or divided into small bags of 1-2kg. Small traders step up the selection and processing, even displaying signs of "genuine Son La plums" and "free tasting" to attract customers.

Son La plums are in their main season. Photo: NVCC

The price of plums at traditional markets currently ranges from 65,000 - 100,000 VND/kg, depending on size and quality. Small plums, from 40 - 50 fruits/kg, are priced from 65,000 - 80,000 VND/kg; larger plums are priced from 85,000 - 100,000 VND/kg.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Le (a trader at Nghia Tan market, Cau Giay district, Hanoi) said: "This week, there are more plums, and the fruit is much more beautiful than at the beginning of the season. The plums are big, plump, the skin is not crushed, and they are sweet and cool, so customers buy them regularly. I sell them for about 80,000 VND/kg for the average type, and 100,000 VND/kg for the big and beautiful type, and some days they sell out early at noon."

Meanwhile, many fruit carts are selling plums for only 30,000 VND/kg. "The plums I sell are mainly small, collected from sources at wholesale markets or imported through intermediaries. They are cheap so they are easy to sell, passersby often buy 1-2 kg to eat. This type is not very sweet, sometimes sour, but because it is cheap, people still buy a lot of them," a woman selling plums on Nguyen Co Thach Street (Nam Tu Liem District, Hanoi) humorously said. However, according to observations by reporters from Cong Thuong Newspaper, plums are cheap because the fruit is small, wilted, many of them are green and sour...

Not only in traditional markets, but also in large supermarket chains, Son La plums are widely sold at promotional prices of only 70,000 VND/kg. On e-commerce platforms and social networks, plums are also sold at many different prices, ranging from 50,000 - 90,000 VND/kg depending on the model.

Mr. Nguyen Tuan Dung (owner of an online fruit shop in Ha Dong) shared: “Customers love plums because of their freshness and clear origin. I import goods every day from Moc Chau, sell online for about 120,000 VND/kg, and deliver within the day. There are days when customers pre-order 30-40 orders just for plums.”

Small traders make big profits, customers compete to buy goods

The main season of Son La plums not only brings joy to gardeners, but also helps small traders make big profits thanks to the strong increase in consumption. The demand for plums increased dramatically in the early days of summer, causing many points of sale to be unable to "react" because they were "out of stock", especially for grade 1 products with clear origins from gardens in Moc Chau and Yen Chau (Son La).

Ms. Nguyen Thi Le (a trader at Nghia Tan market, Cau Giay district) said: "I import directly from a plum grower in Moc Chau, the type is beautiful, the fruit is even, each kg costs about 45,000 VND, selling for 85,000 - 95,000 VND/kg, customers still buy very quickly. There are days when 40kg is sold out in just 3 - 4 hours".

Not only traditional markets, high-end fruit stores have also recorded a spike in sales in the past 2 weeks. Hau plums are carefully packaged, labeled with traceability and sold at a higher price, but are still trusted by customers because of their safety.

Mr. Luu Minh Tuan (owner of a clean fruit store in Ba Dinh district) shared: “Customers are willing to pay more than 100,000 VND/kg if they are sure that this is Son La plum, not mixed with Chinese goods. On average, I sell more than 70kg per day, not to mention customers who pre-order through fanpage. Some businesses even buy by the box as gifts.”

Son La plums are being sold on social media platforms. Screenshot

On e-commerce platforms or through social networking platforms, the keyword “Son La plum” is constantly in the top search this season. Online shops flexibly launch 2kg, 5kg combos, with shipping incentives, livestream tasting right in the garden to create trust.

Ms. Tran Thi Lan (owner of an online fruit shop with more than 25,000 followers on Facebook) said: “I directly link with the cooperative in Yen Chau district. Each batch collects about 300 - 400kg, delivered nationwide within 1 - 2 days. The plums have inspection certificates, so customers can rest assured. Revenue from this year's plums has increased 3 times compared to the same period last year.”

Ms. Vu Thi Ha (office worker in Cau Giay district, Hanoi) shared: “Every year, when plum season comes, I buy them because Son La plums are crispy, slightly sour, very suitable for dessert or pickled in salt and chili. I usually order online through a familiar seller on Facebook, the price is about 85,000 VND/kg, delivered to my home, very convenient”.

Meanwhile, the low-priced plum segment is also selling strongly. Many carts selling plums along Tran Khat Chan, Giai Phong, Nguyen Trai streets advertise “Son La plums for 30,000 VND/kg” attracting many people to stop and buy. However, many of them are small, of unknown origin, or imported from unofficial sources.

Mr. Pham Quang Khai (a merchant at Phung Khoang market) frankly said: “Not all plums labeled Son La are genuine. Many places import floating goods, mixed with cheap Chinese goods, the fruit is big but tasteless and not fragrant. Consumers should choose a place with a clear origin to avoid buying the wrong thing.”

Whether in the high-end or popular segment, it is clear that this year's plum season is creating a "small fever" in the domestic fruit market. Reasonable prices, improved quality and the short season (only about 5-6 peak weeks) make consumers rush to buy "standard" plums before the season ends.

In the context of people increasingly prioritizing domestic agricultural products, it can be expected that Son La plum will continue to expand its market share, not only through traditional markets but also on digital consumer channels, creating an effective value chain for both growers and sellers.

Son La plums are in season with outstanding quality and attractive prices, attracting a large number of consumers nationwide. The combination of advanced cultivation techniques, effective trade promotion strategies and diversification of post-harvest products has helped Son La plums affirm their position in the domestic and international markets.

Minh Trang

Source: https://congthuong.vn/man-hau-chinh-vu-hut-khach-tieu-thuong-dua-nhau-hot-bac-388850.html