The Pu Lau honey pineapple variety is currently a sensation on online marketplaces, priced from just 35,000 VND/kg. Photo: An Phu Fruits .
In early June, videos of people trying Pu Lau honey pineapples went viral, racking up hundreds of thousands of views. Many people commented that this type of honey pineapple is sweeter than other pineapples on the market, juicy, has shallow eyes, and is easy to peel.
Orders for honey pineapples increased by 30%.
Thanks to its immense popularity, some stalls specializing in Pu Lau honey pineapples from Dien Bien on e-commerce platforms have recorded hundreds of sales. Recently, a TikToker reported selling nearly 3 tons of Pu Lau honey pineapples in just over 3 hours during a livestream. Many other livestream sessions have also seen a significant increase in orders for this product.
Speaking to Tri Thức - Znews , Ms. Huyền, owner of a store specializing in fresh agricultural products from Mộc Châu (Sơn La) and other products from the Northwest region, said that despite high demand, the price of this product has remained almost unchanged compared to previous years. This type of honey pineapple currently costs from 35,000 VND/kg depending on size. A combo of two large pineapples (3.5-4.5 kg) priced at around 139,000 VND is a popular choice among customers. Even during certain hours of the day, the price for this combo drops to just 79,000 VND.
According to Ms. Huyen, the presence of Pu Lau honey pineapple on TikTok Shop and e-commerce platforms has helped many consumers become aware of this agricultural product from Dien Bien. Previously, the product was mainly sold through traditional markets.
Since gaining more customer recognition, the number of orders for Pu Lau honey pineapples at Ms. Huyen's store is estimated to have increased by about 30% compared to previous years. On weekdays, Ms. Huyen imports about 3-5 tons of pineapples for distribution. On weekends or during peak demand periods, the import volume can reach 8-10 tons. Not only individual customers, but also wholesale customers have significantly increased their orders, with each purchase being 30 kg or more of honey pineapples.
Currently, customers ordering this product come from many provinces and cities nationwide, with a high concentration in Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi, Gia Lai, and Dong Nai. Regarding transportation, the agricultural product store owner added that Pu Lau honey pineapples have soft eyes, so they require much more careful packaging than other agricultural products. Specifically, each fruit must be padded with straw, wrapped in shock-absorbing material, and neatly arranged in the box to minimize impact. However, even with careful packaging, the product can still be bruised during transportation.
Typically, Pu Lau honey pineapples are only in season from around June to the end of August each year. This is also the time when the pineapples are at their best quality and sweetest. Outside of this period, the rate of damaged pineapples is higher, so traders limit their purchases. In addition, the hot weather during the main harvest season helps the fruit accumulate more sugar, creating its characteristic sweetness.
This year, Ms. Huyen believes that the yield of honey pineapples remains stable, thereby providing a fairly good income for local people. This type of pineapple usually takes about two years to bear fruit. However, the special thing is that Pu Lau honey pineapples ripen in several stages rather than all at once, thus not creating the same seasonal pressure as other crops.
Besides praising the taste of this type of pineapple, customers shared that some pineapples they bought didn't have much sweetness. Regarding this issue, Ms. Huyen said that buyers have almost no way to accurately choose whether a pineapple has sweetness or not, because the quality depends on each individual farm. When delivering to distributors, sellers usually have to inform them in advance that about 10-15% of pineapples are either not sweet or are sour, so selection by visual inspection is impossible.
The area for growing honey pineapples is expected to expand to over 500 hectares by 2030.
Pu Lau honey pineapple is a variety originating from Laos, widely cultivated in Pu Lau village, Muong Nha commune (Dien Bien province). The outstanding characteristics of Pu Lau honey pineapple are its large, round fruit, prominent eyes, few thorns, and thornless leaves. The flesh is bright yellow, juicy, sweet, and fragrant, without causing a burning sensation on the tongue when eaten.
Because they are grown naturally, Pu Lau honey pineapples ripen in staggered seasons, with the peak harvest period lasting from the end of June to the end of August each year. Notably, after each harvest, the pineapple plants continue to sprout new shoots, allowing farmers to separate the seedlings for planting in a new season, completely securing their own seed source and reducing investment costs.
The Party Committee of Muong Nha commune for the 2025-2030 term has identified honey pineapple as the key crop of the locality. Photo: An Phu Fruits.
One of the economic development targets for Muong Nha commune in 2026 is to expand pineapple cultivation to over 300 hectares, linked to a stable and sustainable product consumption chain. To achieve this goal, the locality is focusing on encouraging and supporting capable businesses to invest on a large scale to effectively exploit land potential and develop concentrated pineapple production areas.
Furthermore, the Party Committee of Muong Nha commune for the 2025-2030 term has identified pineapple as a key crop, incorporating it into the central program for implementing the resolution to increase people's income and promote sustainable agricultural development. Accordingly, Muong Nha commune aims to expand the pineapple cultivation area to over 500 hectares by 2030. This goal is linked to the requirement of developing a large-scale raw material area and closely linking farmers, cooperatives, and businesses.