Farmers face hardship as vegetable prices fall
Over supply of vegetables to city markets has made vegetable prices drop dramatically, pushing growers into hardship before the Tet (Lunar New Year) holiday.
A month ago, the price of vegetables in the city rocketed as all vegetable growing areas were waterlogged and ruined due to heavy rains and flooding. Farmers were promptly supported with seeds and began growing crops immediately after the flood. However, most households chose short-maturing varieties with the aim of harvesting and cashing in as soon as possible.*
"Farmers rushed to sow short-maturing vegetables on their fields to make up the big losses they suffered from the downpour. Many fields of soybean and maize have been covered with cabbages instead," said Vu Van Duong, vice chairman of the People’s Committee inTien Phong Commune, Me Linh District.
There are 3,400 households in Tien Phong Commune, 94 per cent of which live on profits from growing vegetables. “It is estimated that local farmers will suffer losses of several billions of dong from mass planting on 430ha field in the whole commune," said Duong.
Bui Cao Nghi, a vegetable grower in Tien Phong Commune, said that he was trying to sell all green vegetables on a total area of nearly 100sq.m with a price of VND60,000 (US$3.6), adding that he usually earns at least VND1.5 million ($91) per 360sq.m.
Winter-Spring crop
Nguyen Thi Ha, another grower in the commune is busy cutting down all the vegetables on her field to prepare for the winter-spring rice crop. "I have to prepare for the next crop. The price of vegetables are so cheap that I don’t want to waste time selling it," said Ha, adding that she gathers these vegetables as food for pigs.
Safe vegetable growers in Nam Hong Commune, Dong Anh District are in the same situation. Nguyen Van Truc, commune-level official for the agriculture sector said that the current prices of safe vegetable dropped 80 per cent compared to last month in spite of costly production and processes.
"Most of our safe vegetables are distributed to industrial zones and Van Noi market. Vegetable are so abundant that we let residents in neighbouring areas take them for free," said Bui Thi An, grower in Tang My Village, Nam Hong Commune.
While Bac Giang and Hai Duong provinces and began their crops right after the flood.
Tran Van Nam, owner of a 2,160sq.m kohlrabi in Song Phuong Commune, Hoai Duc District, said that the field brought him roughly VND20 million ($1,212) profit.
(Source: MARD)
