Vegetable and fruit prices are expected to rise sharply in the next few months due to reduced output caused by bad weather. VNS Photo Văn Châu

HCM CITY – Unseasonable weather has severely affected the farming of many fruits and vegetables in the south.

Lê Hữu Hoàng of Bình Thuận Province said prolonged heavy rains caused flooding that severely damaged his dragon fruit farm, and despite his efforts to mitigate the damage his year-end harvest is unlikely to recover fully.

Flash floods and inundation caused by the rain have affected 230 farmers who grow hundreds of hectares of the fruit.

Some provinces in the Mekong Delta are also facing similar challenges.

Heavy rains and erratic weather have made it difficult for crops to bear fruit.

Trần Kim Thuận, a farmer in Đồng Tháp Province, said the weather has reduced his mango yield by 30 per cent from last year.

Agriculture departments in southern provinces have reported that the harvests of many key fruits such as mangosteen, mango and dragon fruit decreased by 10-20 per cent in August from the previous month and the same period last year.

According to data from the Ministry of Industry and Trade, dragon fruit output in August was only down 38,000 tonnes from the previous month to 59,700 tonnes.

The mango output is down 10,900 tonnes to an estimated 75,700 tonnes.

This year, the weather has been affected by El Nino. 

The rains have affected the quality of vegetables while supply has decreased sharply, and is not enough to meet market demand.

HCM City wholesale markets report vegetable supply is down 2-10 per cent compared to last month.

The low supply has caused the prices of fruits and vegetables at wholesale markets, traditional markets and modern sales channels to increase by 20-60 per cent.

Nguyễn Thanh Tuấn, a trader in the city, expected the shortage to persist since the north has suffered from Typhoon Yagi, which has caused floods and landslides. The storm destroyed thousands hectares of crops, forcing part of the supply in the South to be transported to the North, making the shortage even more serious.

Prices are likely to continue to rise, he added.

Agricultural exports are also on the rise, reducing domestic supply during the year's final months. 

Việt Nam recently signed two protocols with China to export frozen durian and fresh coconut starting in mid-August.

This is expected to sharply drive up fruit and vegetable exports.

Besides, global demand for fruit and vegetables increases at the end of the year, especially for durian and coconut.

It is estimated that durian exports will top US$3.2 billion this year, a 45 per cent rise from 2023.

Fresh coconut exports are expected to increase by 50 per cent to US$200 million.

Total fruit and vegetable exports will likely be $6.5-6.6 billion, a 17 per cent increase.

In the first seven months, they were worth $3.8 billion, a 25.9 per cent year-on-year increase. – VNS