Consumers fooled by fake Dien pomelo
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Dien pomelo fruits in Ha Bang Commune, Thach That District in Ha Noi. Poor harvests mean that Dien pomelos will be in short supply at markets this month. — VNA/VNS Photo Tran Tuan |
HA NOI — Consumers may find it difficult to buy pomelo fruit grown in Phu Dien Commune, Tu Liem District since the commune has experienced a bad harvest this year.
Nguyen Van Cuong, president of Phu Dien Co-operative, said the commune lost 60 per cent of its harvest this year.
"It rained a lot when the pomelo trees were in bloom and there was hoarfrost as well," said Cuong.
"A huge number of orchards in the commune were spoilt."
That is the reason why the yield has been low and the quality of pomelo fruit is not as high as in previous years.
But many shopkeepers in Ha Noi City insist they are selling "genuine Dien pomelos".
Genuine article
Nguyen Le Van Nam, a resident of Kieu Mai Village in the commune, said that he was only able to harvest 20 per cent of his orchardthis season.
In previous years, he has picked more than 1,000 fruit, while this year he could only manage 300.
"Traders were prepared to buy at much high prices, between VND40,000 and VND50,000 (US$2.6) per fruit, so it's a pity I had a bad harvest,," Nam said.
Bui Thi Tan, another orchardist in Phuc Duc Village in the commune, said last year, his crop yielded around 1,700 pomelos, but this year, only 300.
Not the same
The price is higher this year, but the total income from the grapefruit will surely be lower, he said.
Many consumers came to my garden to buy Dien pomelos for personal consumption, rather than for resale, so the amount of genuine Dien fruit in the markets is quite small, said orchardist Bui Thi Vui.
Nguyen Van Cuong, president of the Phu Dien Co-operative, said that pomelos varieties grown in other areas, such as Dan Phuong and Hoai Duc districts, are being sold in huge quantities.
But grapefruit grown in these areas do taste like the genuine article from Phu Dien Commune, he said. Many traders selling these grapefruits often tell customers that they are buying genuine Dien fruit, but the price is only from VND15,000 - 20,000 ($1).
Cuong said that after years of bad harvests, many households in the commune have cut down their trees to grow other kinds of crops or to build houses to rent.
Phu Dien Commune now has only 60ha of pomelo orchards.
Dien pomelos are well-known for their sweet taste and aroma.
The variety is a favourite of many families in Ha Noi and other areas, during the Tet holidays. —VNS