Green bananas near Tet skyrocket in price, reaching 450,000 VND/bunch

On the eve of Lunar New Year 2025, in the province, the price of green bananas to decorate the five-fruit tray has skyrocketed, reaching 450,000 VND/bunch, 2-4 times more expensive than the same period last year and dozens of times more expensive than normal days.

This year, the North was heavily affected by storm No. 3 ( Yagi ) and flooding, causing the banana growing area to shrink significantly. Mr. Nguyen Viet Ha, a banana grower in the province, shared: "My family has about 11 hectares of banana growing area, however, after the storm, most of the trees were broken, swept away by floods, and the entire garden was lost." The sharp decrease in supply has pushed the price of green bananas to a record high.

Near the Lunar New Year 2025, the price of green bananas increased dramatically.

According to Phu Tho Newspaper reporters on January 24, at many traditional markets in Viet Tri City, the price of beautiful green bananas for displaying on the five-fruit tray this year is 2-4 times higher than last year's Tet. Beautifully shaped green bananas are sold at prices ranging from 200,000 - 450,000 VND/bunch, an average of 10,000 VND/fruit.

Going to the market to buy green bananas to decorate the five-fruit tray for Tet, Ms. Chu Thi Mai (Tan Dan ward, Viet Tri city) was surprised when the price of this item was too expensive: "I planned to buy 3 bunches of bananas to burn incense, however, when I heard the price of nearly 1 million VND/3 bunches, I was very surprised because I didn't think the price of green bananas would be so high this year."

At Mo Xi market (Tan Dan ward, Viet Tri city), the most expensive bunch of bananas costs 300,000 VND/bunch, equivalent to 30 bananas.

The owner of Dung Nu fruit shop, Mo Xi market (Tan Dan ward, Viet Tri city) said: "Over the years, the price of bananas has fluctuated but has never increased as much as this year. There was a time when the price of bananas was only 1,500 - 2,000 VND/fruit, on normal days, the price of bananas was 3,000 - 4,000 VND/fruit and until now, near Tet, the price of bananas fluctuates from 6,000 - 10,000 VND/fruit.

However, 10,000 VND/fruit is still not the most expensive price because the price of each bunch of bananas also depends on the color, size of the fruit, the number of bananas, whether they are even or odd, whether they have beards or not, and whether they are "deformed". In general, the price of green bananas is higher than every year. The import price is quite high, so we have to sell at a high price to make a profit.

At the Supe Industrial Park market (Hung Son town, Lam Thao district), small bunches of bananas with uneven fruits will cost 8,000 VND/fruit, while beautiful bunches of bananas with even fruits will be sold for 10,000 VND/fruit. In particular, there is a large bunch of bananas with up to 42 fruits, sold for 420,000 VND.

A bunch of 42 bananas worth 420,000 VND at Supe Industrial Park market (Hung Son town, Lam Thao district).

Ms. Nguyen Thi Hong, a trader at Khu Cong Nhan Supe market, Lam Thao district, said: "Bananas are mainly imported from gardens in neighboring communes such as Xuan Lung, Xuan Huy, Tien Kien... However, after storm No. 3, most of the banana acreage of the people was severely damaged, leading to a sharp decrease in supply.

10,000 VND/fruit, multiply that to get the price of the whole bunch. Currently, my family sells at the same price, some places sell for 150,000 VND/10 fruits. I will reduce 30,000 VND for this bunch of 28 fruits, selling it for 250,000 VND, which is cheap. If you don't buy early, there may be no more to choose from near Tet. The other day at the market, someone sold a bunch of bananas for 450,000 VND, but some people still bought them to display on the altar.

At the traditional markets in Lam Thao district, bananas are mainly imported from the communes: Phung Nguyen, Vinh Lai, Xuan Lung, Xuan Huy, Tien Kien...

Not only in Phu Tho province, but also in the northern provinces such as Hanoi, Hai Phong, Lang Son, Yen Bai , etc., banana prices continue to climb, reaching 600,000 VND/bunch in Hanoi. Many traders and people are surprised by this sharp increase in price, but people's demand has not decreased.

Displaying the five-fruit tray is an indispensable part of the traditional culture of the Vietnamese people. The five-fruit tray is not only to worship ancestors but also to express the wish for a new year of peace and prosperity. Therefore, even though the price of bananas is high, some people are still willing to spend money to buy the most beautiful bunches of bananas to serve for Tet. Besides, many people choose to wait 2-3 more days for the price of bananas to stabilize, others choose to buy other fruits such as: grapefruit, Buddha's hand, oranges, apples, mangoes... to save costs.

Bao Thoa

Source: https://baophutho.vn/chuoi-xanh-can-tet-tang-gia-dinh-noc-cham-moc-450-000-dong-nai-227120.htm