Farm produce falls in price, farmers incur losses

Pineapple, watermelon and chili growers are complaining about the hot weather which has forced them to work hard to water crops. Meanwhile, farm produce prices have dropped dramatically.

The winter-spring rice price increased for a short time before it began falling sharply three weeks ago in Mekong Delta. Le Thanh Phong, a farmer in Tra Vinh, said he had sold IR 50404 rice at VND4,300 per kilo, a decrease of VND300 per kilo compared with the beginning of the crop.

“We almost did not make a profit because of pests and the fertilizer price increase,” Phong said.

The rice price has also decreased in Vinh Long province and Can Tho City. IR50404 wet unhusked rice is traded at VND4,300 per kilo, while dry unhusked rice is at VND5,300. Long-grain and fragrant rice are traded at VND4,600-5,300 per kilo.

In general, the price has decreased by VND500 per kilo compared to three weeks ago.

Pineapple, watermelon and chili growers are complaining about the hot weather which has forced them to work hard to water crops. Meanwhile, farm produce prices have dropped dramatically.

Nguyen Cong Ly, a merchant specializing in collecting rice from farmers in Phuong Thinh commune of Dong Thap province, said farmers fear they cannot find buyers when a lot of rice gets ripped.

The domestic rice price decrease is attributed to the falling rice export price. 

Besides, as exporters have collected enough rice to fulfill the signed contracts, they have stopped collecting rice from farmers. 

Meanwhile, the Philippines and China, Vietnam’s major export markets, are restricting imports.

Chili growers in Mekong Delta now also have their hearts in their boots as the price has continued to fall. 

Nguyen Van Phoi from Hong Ngu district said two weeks ago merchants accepted to pay VND11,000-12,000 per kilo. 

However, the price has dropped to VND7,000 per kilo, while the demand is very weak. Some farmers in the locality are considering stopping growing chili to grow other short-day crops.

Pham Thanh Nhi, head of the Hong Ngu district’s agriculture sub-department, said the chili price once climbed to the sky-high price of VND115,000 per kilo. 

But with the current price, farmers don’t earn enough money to hire workers to harvest.

The fruit prices have also dropped abnormally despite the hot weather. In Kien Giang, Hau Giang, VInh Long and Tien Giang, merchants only pay VND1,000-3,000 per kilo of watermelon and VND2,000-4,000 per kilo for pineapple.

The sharp price falls which bring big losses to farmers have caused a big headache to the government. 

In March, the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MOIT) called on agencies to join forces to rescue bananas in Dong Nai province which were left unsold. In April, Quang Ngai watermelon needed help.

At the Q1 regular press conference, MARD’s official said agencies had to carry out two rescue campaigns in the first three months of the year.