Why has the "premium fruit" dropped in value?

(Baohatinh.vn) - Phuc Trach pomelo, a specialty of Ha Tinh province, is currently in its peak harvest season. This year, despite relatively high yields, the market is slow, and prices have dropped by 20-30% compared to last year.

The family of Mr. Phan Xuan Thanh (Dia Loi village, Huong Pho commune) has nearly 500 pomelo trees, yielding an average of about 20,000 fruits per year. Despite being in the peak harvest season, his family is not very happy because prices have dropped sharply this year.

The drop in pomelo prices has significantly reduced the income of Mr. Phan Xuan Thanh's family compared to the previous year.

Mr. Thanh said: "This year's harvest is good, the pomelos are beautiful, but the price is about 20-30% lower than in previous years. Currently, my family has sold to traders who come to buy wholesale at the orchard. With the price drop, the pomelos are harder to sell, so we're just happy to have someone buy them, because the effort of caring for them all year round doesn't bring in much profit."

Not only Mr. Thanh, but many other farmers, cooperatives, and production groups are harvesting pomelos with mixed feelings. Although this year's harvest yielded a relatively high output, with consistent quality and attractive appearance, some orchards are currently struggling to find buyers, and prices are not meeting expectations. According to the orchard owners, the main reasons are weak purchasing power, unstable markets, and an oversupply situation during the peak harvest season. Furthermore, this year's harvest was affected by two storms, negatively impacting the consumption of this specialty fruit.

Ms. Le Thi Ha (Hamlet 2, Phuc Trach Commune) said: “This year, the price of pomelos is significantly lower than in previous years, and it has also been affected by storms and heavy rain, so our income has decreased considerably. Currently, my family is only selling a small amount, waiting to see if the price will improve towards the end of the season. We hope that the weather will stabilize soon, and there will be no more natural disasters so that we can recoup some of our losses.”

Nhat Hang General Production and Business Cooperative links the production and purchase of pomelos from many households.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Hang – Director of Nhat Hang General Production and Business Cooperative (Huong Do commune) shared: “We collaborate in the production and purchase of pomelos from many households in the area to distribute to markets inside and outside the province, from traditional markets to retail stores. This year, the yield is quite high, but the price has dropped sharply, and pomelos are selling slower than in previous years.”

Currently, the cooperative is connecting with supermarkets, boosting sales on e-commerce platforms, and building warehouses to process grapefruit into products such as grapefruit peel jam, freeze-dried grapefruit pulp for making tea, grapefruit essential oil, and grapefruit pulp dishwashing liquid.

Phuc Trach pomelos are currently being sold on the market at various prices, ranging from 10,000 to 40,000 VND per fruit, lower than last year.

Observations at traditional markets and fruit shops show that "mountain town specialties" are being sold in abundance at this time. Depending on the segment, mass-produced pomelos cost 10,000 - 25,000 VND/fruit; pomelos grown according to VietGAP and organic standards are more expensive, from 30,000 - 40,000 VND/fruit. According to traders, this year's pomelo harvest is abundant, with fruits weighing 1-1.5 kg each, and the prices are quite low compared to previous years, making them more accessible to consumers.

Ms. Hoa Mo, a pomelo vendor in the Vuon Uom market area (Thanh Sen ward), said: “We harvest the pomelos directly from the orchards in Phuc Trach commune and sort them by size. The price ranges from 15,000 to 25,000 VND per fruit, a decrease of about 10,000 VND per fruit compared to last year. Currently, pomelos are in season, look beautiful, and are priced well, so on average I sell about 500-600 fruits to the market each day, mainly to individual customers.”

Ms. Nguyen Thi Duong (Thanh Sen ward) shared: “Phuc Trach pomelos are a specialty with crispy segments and a sweet, refreshing taste, so everyone in my family loves them. Previously, buying a good quality pomelo cost 30,000-40,000 VND, or even more, but this year, you can get a delicious one for only about 20,000 VND.”

On average, Ms. Hoa Mo sells about 500-600 Phuc Trach pomelos to the market each day.

According to the agricultural sector report, by 2025, the entire province will have over 4,300 hectares of pomelo orchards, with an estimated production of 40,000 tons; of which the area of ​​pomelo orchards under geographical indication will reach 2,700 hectares, with an estimated production of 25,000 tons. The concentrated planting areas are in the communes of Phuc Trach, Huong Pho, Huong Do, Huong Binh, Huong Xuan, etc. Currently, Phuc Trach pomelos are available in supermarket chains such as Winmart, BigC, Co.opmart; some e-commerce platforms and online channels such as Facebook, Zalo, TikTok… However, the quantity consumed through these channels is still quite limited compared to the total production.

To support consumption, contribute to increasing people's income, and affirm the value of Phuc Trach pomelo as a specialty product, various levels and sectors have organized and implemented many promotional activities to bring the pomelo into large distribution systems. Recently, the National Agricultural Extension Center, in coordination with the Department of Agriculture and Environment of Ha Tinh province , also organized a trade promotion forum for organically produced Phuc Trach pomelo, creating opportunities for signing contracts for the consumption of organic pomelo products between businesses, cooperatives, and producers.

Source: https://baohatinh.vn/vi-sao-de-nhat-danh-qua-rot-gia-post295589.html