Chilean cherries are currently being sold at their lowest prices in years in Vietnam. Small-sized cherries are priced at approximately $5.9 per kilogram, while larger ones range from $7.1 to $8.7 per kilogram. These prices reflect a 20-25% decrease compared to the previous year and a drop from $13.8 last month.
Lan, a vendor at Ba Chieu Market in Ho Chi Minh City, noted, "I have never seen Chilean cherries as cheap as this." Nguyen Van Thanh, a fruit importer in the city, explained that China, the primary market for Chilean cherries, has recently imposed stricter quality regulations. Consequently, exports to China have decreased, leading to a surplus and competitive pricing in other markets, including Vietnam.
A technical issue with the Saltoro ship, which was transporting 1,300 containers of Chilean cherries to China, further influenced the market. The ship's delay near Micronesia on January 13 caused it to miss the peak demand period during the Lunar New Year in China.
This year, Chile's cherry production increased by 60% compared to 2024. Vietnamese customs data indicates a sharp rise in imports in December as the low-cost Chilean cherries became available.
Source: VNExpress