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 the family.
However, this year’s supply for the Lunar New Year market is scarce as banana plantations in the North were severely impacted by Storm No. 3 and flooding.
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 total loss for the family during the festive 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 at a price ranging from 25,000 to 30,000 VND per kg. For a bunch of ten clusters, the price ranges from 250,000 to 300,000 VND,” said Mr. Hoang.
The price of green bananas bought directly from the garden ranges from 300,000 to 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 to 300,000 VND per cluster.
Previously, Mr. Nguyen Hong Yen, Head of the Planting and Plant Protection Division of 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. After purchasing, some traders lock the garden doors and take care of the bananas themselves, intending to export them to China for 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.
