In Vietnam, dragon fruit growers in the southern province of Long An have been warned by local authorities to be vigilant against illegal Chinese traders looking to purchase their crop.
The move came after eight Chinese nationals were deported from Chau Thanh District last year for violating regulations that require foreigners in Vietnam to get a permit from local authorities before they do business in that area.
The Chinese nationals had conducted business activities, such as visiting dragon fruit plantations to buy fruits and flowers and to conduct market surveys, without the proper permits.
Local farmers in the area are said to mainly sell their fruit to Vietnamese traders who then export it to other countries or resell it to other customers.
Nguyen Van Thinh, Chairman of Chau Thanh District's People's Committee, said that rumors that Chinese traders have caused prices to fall and manipulated the market are unfounded because at present, the price of dragon fruit, particularly red dragon fruit, is high and has been stable for the past few months.
Last year, local farmers flocked to sell their dragon fruit flowers to traders, but they then stopped the practice as the sales affected their crop output, according to Thin.
There are more than 6,400ha of dragon fruit plantations in the district.
