On normal days, a bunch of bananas costs a few tens of thousands of dong, but on New Year’s Day, the price increases to several hundred thousand dong, even millions of dong, so the business of selling bananas is born. The profession only has a “life expectancy” of half a month in each year, on the days near Tet.
The “capital” of banana offerings in the Central region
In the Central region, nowhere has the area of ”massive” banana cultivation like 7 communes in the Lia region in H.Huong Hoa, west of Quang Tri. Planting in Vietnam is not enough, the farmers even rent land in Laos (bordering area) to cultivate.
In a conversation with PV Newspaper Chairman of H.Huong Hoa People’s Committee Dang Trong Van boasted that the whole district has up to 4,000 hectares of bananas, concentrated in communes such as Tan Long, Thuan, Huong Loc, Tan Thanh…
“For a long time, banana products in this district are mainly exported to China, Thailand and a small part of domestic consumption. However, in the past two years, due to the impact of the Covid-19 epidemic, the consumption market was affected, the price of moldy bananas therefore decreased significantly,” said Van.
China has just opened its border, the “banana capital” in the Central region seems to come to life. In the last days of December, Tan Long fork became the “land” of bananas. Here, hundreds of people in the communes grow bananas or carry or use motorbikes to transport moldy bananas to the junction right next to Highway 9 for sale. Convoys of trucks are also waiting, following “selling and buying”, people pick up bananas and spread them everywhere in time for Tet.
Here also see the silhouette of indigenous people, in many roles, from transport to porters. They also live off this banana market that only meets once a year. The Tet banana “market” here starts from 3-4 am and ends when it is dark with thousands of buyers and sellers. Because it is the “key” market of bananas, it is not sold in baskets, but by rooms. “It’s been two years since the banana market is as bustling as this year. Sellers and buyers are innumerable and the price is also very good,” said Ms. Le Thi Phuong, a banana seller in Tan Long commune.
Local people move bananas to Tan Long junction for sale
On December 21, Mr. Hoang Trong Quang (43 years old, residing in Thuan commune, Huong Hoa province) cut 5 beautiful bananas and transported them here early. He wants to “welcome” the day of worshiping Mr. Tao on December 23. “These rooms are in the “high end” category of the garden. Each room has only regarding a dozen of them. The fruit is very round and even. So if it’s less than 800,000 VND per room, I won’t sell it,” he said firmly.
Mr. Vo Van Cuong, Chairman of Tan Long Commune People’s Committee, said the price of bananas is currently very good, from a few hundred thousand to 2 million VND/room of moldy bananas. “The amount of bananas that went to Tan Long fork was large, but they were all sold out within a day. And normally, bananas will even increase in price starting following December 24, when the demand for bananas also spikes, “said Mr. Cuong.
There is Tet, and the business of selling bananas to worship
With the high price, a bunch of bananas equal to a quintal of rice, is unacceptable for the poor. But with families with conditions, they are willing to spend money to have satisfactory bananas on the ancestral altar.
Housewives also often tell each other regarding the “standard” of the beautiful bunch of bananas. It must be a large, long, spreading bunch of bananas that look like the Buddha’s hand, implying to protect children and grandchildren, to bless the family. It is better to choose a bunch of bananas with an odd number of fruits (positive) symbolizing fertility and luck, not a bunch with an even number of (negative) fruits. Which is the banana must be green, must not be small, 2 bananas in a bunch of bananas must not stick together and have other “malformations”… Because of that “standard”, the closer to Tet, especially December 29-30. The price of a beautiful bunch of bananas will skyrocket, at least 200,000 – 300,000 VND / bunch, or inching up to 500,000 VND, even 1 million VND or more.
For many people in the Central region, if you can’t buy a beautiful bunch of bananas, you haven’t bought Tet yet
Banana market for offering at the end of the year at Tan Long junction
So, for a long time, even though it was an indispensable item on the altar of the ancestors, the offering banana also gave birth to many thoughts…
Remember on the occasion of the Lunar New Year last year, during the peak of Covid-19, Tan Long bananas might not be “wholesale”, but a colleague of mine suddenly witnessed 2 beautiful bananas shouted by Tan Long merchant. price 7 million dong, not less. New or good, for many people, bunches of bananas on Tet holiday become a valuable item for housewives to show off to each other: “This New Year, you can buy a beautiful bunch of bananas”.
I also listened to my mother and later heard from my wife complaints every time I went to the Tet market: “Bananas are too expensive this year!”. Unfortunately, for them, even though they bought all kinds of things, they still lacked a beautiful banana room, still like… they hadn’t bought Tet yet.
For many people in the Central region, the bunch of bananas on the ancestral altar are very important. Going to the Tet market, although their mouth is still expensive, they still hook their wallets to buy beautiful bunches of bananas. Since then, in the world, there has been a business of selling bananas to worship. Just past the full moon of January, when the price of bananas stops “dancing”, this profession also stops. Therefore, the business of selling bananas is still alive, even living well through the New Year seasons.