On May 26th, a street vendor selling plums attracted a large crowd of women at Hoa Binh Market in District 5. Some bought just one kilogram, while others bought two to three kilograms. The vendor was selling the plums for 35,000 VND per kilogram and guaranteed their crispness, sweetness, and offered a “money-back guarantee if not satisfied”.
Customers were free to choose their plums. If they wanted sweeter plums, they picked the dark red and soft ones; if they preferred crispness, they opted for the harder, slightly pink ones. Ms. Tam, a fruit vendor at Thi Nghe Market in Binh Thanh District, assured customers that the plums were grown in Son La and freshly picked and transported to the city daily. She emphasized that the plums had fresh stems and a powdery coating, distinguishing them from Chinese plums.
At Ban Co Market in District 3, the plums were larger but cheaper, sold at 25,000 VND per kilogram. Compared to last year, the price of plums has significantly dropped. However, due to their astringent and sometimes bitter taste, many customers are not fond of them, shared by a fruit vendor, Ms. Hoa.
On the other hand, some street vendors were selling plums at a much lower price of 15,000 VND per kilogram. A female vendor humorously shared that she was clearing her stock, hence the low price, as she had been selling them for 30,000 VND per kilogram previously. However, upon observation, the cheaper plums were smaller, wilted, and many were unripe and sour.
The plums were sorted into two categories: large and small, and new and old, resulting in varying prices. Nonetheless, the vendors assured customers that all the plums were delicious and of good quality.
Ms. Thu Huong, a resident of Go Vap District, shared her love for these plums, which are native to Hanoi. Every year during plum season, her family enjoys them as a daily dessert. With the affordable prices this year, she buys them in bulk to make jam and pickled plums, a refreshing drink. She also adds them to salads for a unique flavor.
Plums are abundant in traditional markets, but they are absent from wholesale markets.
According to fruit business owners, they source their plums directly from farmers or intermediaries, unlike previous years when they would buy them from wholesale markets. A few years ago, tons of plums were sold at these markets during the season.
Large, high-quality plums can cost up to 50,000 VND per kilogram, but even this is only half the price of two years ago.
At supermarkets, plums are on sale for as low as 29,900 VND per kilogram. A representative from the Co.op Mart system shared that this is the first time the supermarket has directly sourced products from the Northwest region, aiming to promote local specialties. This year, the supermarket plans to sell about 100 tons of plums from Moc Chau district.
