Bananas imported from the Philippines are becoming popular in Vietnam and dominating supermarket shelves reportedly due to their attractive appearance.
The fruits are imported through northern ports and transported to HCM City by container trucks, traders said.
Vinh, an importer, said Philippines bananas are being favoured by consumers because they are of uniform shape and size and have not scratches or black spots on their skin.
On average, he delivers around 50 cartons of between 15 and 20 kg each to HCM City wholesale markets at 13,000-15,000 VND per kilogramme.
City supermarkets and fruit shops said despite being three times the price of local produce, the imported bananas are in huge demand.
The Philippines bananas are now sold for 22,000 VND per kilogramme against 5,000-7,000 VND for Vietnamese bananas.
Quynh Trang, foreign affairs director of Big C supermarket, said her supermarket has been selling the fruit for the last two months and they are very popular.
But Tran Thanh Xuan, a Big C customer, is not enamoured of the imported bananas: She has tried the Dole bananas and their aroma and taste are not comparable to their domestic rivals, she said.
Fruit traders suggested a possible cause for the popularity of the imported fruit: the failure to carefully transport locally-grown fruits to maintain their appearance and preserve them.
They said during their transportation to markets, Vietnamese bananas are damaged and as a result do not look as appetising as the imported fruits.
Besides, farmers have to improve their preservation methods to ensure the bananas reach the market in good shape, they added.
Nguyen Ba Dinh, deputy head of customs at Sai Gon Port Zone 1, said since the tariff on bananas imported from ASEAN countries is 5 percent, the Dole banana costs about 11,200 VND per kilogramme when it reaches the market./.
The fruits are imported through northern ports and transported to HCM City by container trucks, traders said.
Vinh, an importer, said Philippines bananas are being favoured by consumers because they are of uniform shape and size and have not scratches or black spots on their skin.
On average, he delivers around 50 cartons of between 15 and 20 kg each to HCM City wholesale markets at 13,000-15,000 VND per kilogramme.
City supermarkets and fruit shops said despite being three times the price of local produce, the imported bananas are in huge demand.
The Philippines bananas are now sold for 22,000 VND per kilogramme against 5,000-7,000 VND for Vietnamese bananas.
Quynh Trang, foreign affairs director of Big C supermarket, said her supermarket has been selling the fruit for the last two months and they are very popular.
But Tran Thanh Xuan, a Big C customer, is not enamoured of the imported bananas: She has tried the Dole bananas and their aroma and taste are not comparable to their domestic rivals, she said.
Fruit traders suggested a possible cause for the popularity of the imported fruit: the failure to carefully transport locally-grown fruits to maintain their appearance and preserve them.
They said during their transportation to markets, Vietnamese bananas are damaged and as a result do not look as appetising as the imported fruits.
Besides, farmers have to improve their preservation methods to ensure the bananas reach the market in good shape, they added.
Nguyen Ba Dinh, deputy head of customs at Sai Gon Port Zone 1, said since the tariff on bananas imported from ASEAN countries is 5 percent, the Dole banana costs about 11,200 VND per kilogramme when it reaches the market./.
