A consumer looks at avocados in a supermarket in Ho Chi Minh City. Photo by VnExpress/Thi Ha
Avocado prices at the farm gate have doubled from a year ago to VND40,000 (US$1.54) per kilogram, the highest in five years, amid a supply shortage.
Hien, a farmer in the Central Highlands province of Lam Dong expects to earn VND100 million from her avocado sales this year, meaning a profit of 60%.
Retailers in HCMC have also raised prices, making avocado more expensive than fruits like mango, orange and grapefruit.
“Supply has fallen by 50% from last year due to low yields,” Hoang Anh, owner of a fruit store in HCMC, said.
Dang Minh Tien, an avocado trader, said unfavorable weather has caused a shortage of supply.
Many farmers have also chopped down their avocado trees to grow other fruits after years of posting minimal profits or even losses, he added.
Supermarket chain MM Mega Market is selling the fruit with a green sticker to inform customers that it is of high quality with no chemical residues.
Lam Dong Province agricultural authorities said the area under avocado has been shrinking as farmers switch to growing durian and coffee.
The province has around 8,000 hectares under the fruit and produces 80,000 tons a year.
