With the continuous growth of market demand, China's banana imports have shown an increasing trend in recent years. Currently, Vietnam is China's second-largest banana import market, after the Philippines.
From October to November every year, Vietnamese bananas start to go on the market, and the production season lasts for half a year, with February to April being the peak period for the market. "Currently, 85% of Vietnam's total banana production is exported to China, South Korea, Japan and other places. The Chinese market accounts for more than 40% of its total exports. Now about 500-800 containers of Vietnamese bananas arrive every week," said Mr. Liu Zhifeng from Beijing Thaihechuangye International Trading Co., Ltd. speaking with FreshPlaza.
"Among Vietnam's production areas, the quality of bananas produced in Dong Nai Province in Vietnam is the best, while other production areas are more uneven. Due to the uneven quality, the price also varies greatly. The price ranges from ￥50-￥60/box to ￥90-￥100/box. The price of regular quality is about ￥85/box. During the peak period of concentrated arrival, the problem of uneven quality is more prominent, and the price of some batches is even cheaper than that of domestic bananas. "
"High-quality Vietnamese bananas are still popular in the market and can fetch good prices, but this type of supply accounts for a relatively small proportion. This is why it is difficult to increase the number of imported bananas in Vietnam right now. Its quality problems are mostly reflected in the appearance, such as black spots and the bunch shape is not as ideal.
"At present, Vietnamese bananas are mostly imported by sea, and it takes about half a month. The main sales areas are in the northeast of China, Inner Mongolia and other places. It is reported that the packaging of Vietnamese imported bananas has been improved almost every year to meet the needs of the product and the market. The packaging of bananas arriving this year is already quite satisfactory.
Talking about the arrival of bananas in this production season, Mr. Liu said that due to the heavy rainfall in Vietnam last year, the bananas in this production season were softer than before, which is not conducive to storage, and the price is more differentiated. "After the pandemic, the domestic market is recovering. We will also increase communication with Vietnamese producers, hoping to improve the quality of bananas."
Beijing Thaihechuangye International Trading Co., Ltd. is mainly engaged in the import and export of fruit. The main products include durian, banana, and mangosteen from Southeast Asia, as well as cherries, raisins, and stone fruits from Chile. The company has selling stalls in wholesale markets in Beijing, Zhengzhou, Qingdao, Changsha and other places, and its sales channels include wholesale markets, supermarkets, and online e-commerce.