Green bananas are a staple in the North’s traditional tray of five types of tropical fruits during the Lunar New Year.
Traders travel to the South to buy green bananas to sell in the North
According to Feng Shui principles, green bananas represent the wood element in the five elements. Additionally, due to their characteristic of growing in clusters, green bananas symbolize unity, abundance, and warmth within families.
However, this year’s supply for the Lunar New Year market is scarce due to the severe impact of Storm No. 3 and flooding on banana plantations in the North.
Ms. Nguyen Nhan, from Tu Ky district in Hai Duong province, shared that her family had about one hectare of green bananas for the Lunar New Year market last year. Unfortunately, the bananas were damaged by Storm No. 3 this year, resulting in a complete loss for the family this season.
Meanwhile, Mr. Minh Hoang, a trader in Hanoi, shared that he had just returned from Dong Nai, the country’s “banana capital,” where he purchased two truckloads of bananas to sell to customers preparing their trays of five fruits for the Lunar New Year.
“I bought them directly from the gardens for 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 between 300,000 and 500,000 VND per bunch
In Hanoi, many retailers in the markets stated that the price of green bananas for the five-fruit tray this year is two to four times higher than last year. Well-shaped banana clusters are being sold for 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 plantations. At the same time, the Chinese market has a high demand for bananas.
As a result, traders have been actively seeking to purchase bananas at high prices. Many gardens are selling bananas for 500,000 VND per garden. Some traders even buy and lock up the gardens, taking care of the bananas themselves to export to the Chinese market during the Lunar New Year.
In the South, Mr. Vo Quan Huy, Director of Huy Long An Co., Ltd. (Long An), stated that farmers benefit from the high banana prices.
