Dragon fruit stuck at border due to coronavirus spread
Dragon fruit stuck at border due to coronavirus spread
As of January 31, nearly 120 containers of dragon fruit, which were due to be exported to China, were stuck at Tan Thanh border gate in Lang Son Province after Vietnam and China temporarily suspended trade amid coronavirus spread.
Each container has 13-18 tons of dragon fruit, according to Tuoi Tre newspaper.
Trade activities are also suspended at other border gates in the province, including Coc Nam, Huu Nghi, Dong Dang and Chi Ma.
Le Van Chat, head of Tan Thanh Border Gate Control Station, said the border gate normally receives about 50 containers of fruit, mostly dragon fruit, per day. The trucks are parked at the border gate’s parking lot until the trading suspension decision is expectedly removed on February 8.
Nguyen Van Tuan, owner of a container truck with 18 tons of dragon fruit from Binh Thuan Province, said each day waiting at the border gate costs him VND1 million, including parking fee, meals, accommodation, and freezing storage cost.
Nguyen Phuong Lan, a vendor at Tan Thanh border market, said most stalls at the market have been closed. Long trading suspension would make vendors suffer losses due to product quality degradation.
