The price of dragon fruit in the southern province of Binh Thuan has increased rapidly over the past three days, with a three-fold increase occurring in just a few days.

This sudden increase can be attributed to the diminishing output of ripe fruits in the districts of Ham Thuan Nam and Ham Thuan Bac in the locality, alongside the expansion of consumption markets. 

According to a local garden owner, the price of dragon fruit has shot up from VND5,000 to VND15,000 per kilo, with some locations recording increases to VND18,000 per kilo, during the past three days.

Vo Huy Hoang, Chairman of the Binh Thuan Dragon Fruit Association, said that amidst challenges in doing businesses with China as a result of the COVID-19 epidemic, the locality has been active in expanding their consumption markets.

Since the beginning of February 2019, Binh Thuan dragon fruit has gradually gained entry into several markets such as India, Singapore, Canada, and the United Arab Emirates, which has served to help the price of dragon fruit rise sharply.

In addition, the province has also worked to connect with distributors as a means of boosting domestic consumption so there remains a stable outlet for the fruit whilst avoiding a heavy reliance on the Chinese market.