Farmers in Central Highland region jump for joy as produce prices hike

Farmers in the Central Highland region were full of joy at their produce prices hike after a long difficult time due to impacts of Covid-19.

Farmers in the region have been busy harvesting cassava (Photo: SGGP)

Filled with joy, farmers in the region have been busy harvesting cassava, key farm product of the Central Highlands region. Farmer Moc Ngoc Thach and relatives were making a concerted effort to harvest the remaining plant in the field of seven hectares in Klah village in Ia Mo Commune in Chu Prong District of Gia Lai Province .

He delightedly said that a kilogram of fresh cavasses costs VND2,650 at its highest; therefore, the family got profit of VND200 million (US$8,617).

According to Vice Chairman of the People’s Committee in Ia Mo Commune Nguyen Tuan Anh, cassava is grown in 320 hectares and farmers have harvested 80 percent of total cassava while farmers in Krong Pa Commune in Gia Lai Province where cassava is grown in 22,000 hectares have harvested 70 percent of the plant, said head of the provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Development Dinh Xuan Duyen. With price of VND2,650 per kilogram of fresh cassava, farmers enjoy VND15 million – VND20 million per hectare.

Chairman of the People’s Committee in Dak Ruong Commune in Kon Tum Province Dinh Ngoc Hai revealed that cassava farmers profited from growing the plant. Thankfully, poverty-stricken households in the province can escape their destitution.

General Manager of Focecov Trinh Van Xuan said that this year, the company has purchased approximately 70,000 tons of cassava at the price of VND2,500 - VND3,000 a kilogram and factories in the Central region have also ordered 50,000 tons of cassava.

In addition to cassava, farmers have also enjoyed good prices of watermelons, sweet potatoes, sugar canes and unhusked rice. For instance, watermelon is grown in 1,500 hectares in Gia Lai Province. The fruit was sold at VND1,000 - VND2,000 per kilogram before Tet holiday ( the Lunar New Year); however, the fruit is now priced at VND7,000 - VND8,000 a kilogram in the field while good quality fruit fetches over VND10,000 a kilogram.

Head of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development in Krong Pa District Dinh Xuan Duyen said that watermelon farmers profited roughly VND200 million per hectare. Moreover, workers who were hired to pick up watermelon received higher wages.

Sugarcane farmers are enjoying a profit of VND25 million - VND30 million per hectare. Especially, farmers in Gia Lai Province this time saw profit tripling that of bean or corn grown before when they sold sweet potato at VND8,800 a kilogram – the highest price so far. Sweet potatoes have been grown for two recent years in the area of 647 hectares in the province.