Green bananas are an indispensable part of the Northerners’ tray of five types of tropical fruits during the Lunar New Year.
Traders travel to the South to buy green bananas and bring them to the North for sale
According to Feng Shui principles, green bananas represent the wood element in the five elements. Moreover, due to their characteristic of growing in clusters, green bananas symbolize unity, abundance, and warmth within a family.
However, this year’s supply of green bananas in the North has been severely impacted by Storm No. 3 and flooding, resulting in a scarce market for the Lunar New Year.
Ms. Nguyen Nhan, from Tu Ky district, Hai Duong province, shared that her family had about one hectare of green bananas for the Lunar New Year market last year. Unfortunately, this year’s crop was damaged due to Storm No. 3, resulting in a total loss for the family this Lunar New Year.
Meanwhile, Mr. Minh Hoang, a trader in Hanoi, shared that he had just returned from Dong Nai, the “capital” of bananas, where he purchased two truckloads of bananas to sell to customers for the Lunar New Year fruit tray.
“I bought them directly from the gardens at a price of 25,000 – 30,000 VND/kg. A bunch of ten clusters costs around 250,000 – 300,000 VND,” said Mr. Hoang.
Green bananas bought directly from the garden cost around 300,000 – 500,000 VND per bunch
In Hanoi, many retailers in the market stated that the price of green bananas for the Lunar New Year fruit tray is two to four times higher than last year. Well-shaped banana clusters are sold for up to 200,000 – 300,000 VND per cluster.
Previously, Mr. Nguyen Hong Yen, Head of the Department of Cultivation and Plant Protection in Hoa Binh province, mentioned that many northern provinces were affected by Storm No. 3, resulting in significant damage to banana crops. At the same time, the Chinese market has a high demand for bananas.
In the South, Mr. Vo Quan Huy, Director of Huy Long An Co., Ltd. (Long An), stated that the high banana prices have benefited farmers.
