Green pumpkin price hits record high, farmers hit big

(Baonghean.vn) - In the 2017 summer-autumn crop, Thanh Chuong district converted about 100 hectares of high-yield rice land to grow squash. Along with a good harvest, farmers also sold at high prices and escaped flooding.

After 3 months of planting and caring, more than 2 hectares of green squash of Linh Hong village, Thanh Linh commune (Thanh Chuong) were harvested with an average yield of 2 tons/sao, with a selling price of 13,000 VND/kg, 3 times higher than the annual average; after deducting expenses, each sao brought in a revenue of about 25 million VND.

Mr. Nguyen Van Ke in Linh Hong village, with an area of ​​2 sao this year he has grown 3 crops of green squash, he said that this summer-autumn crop achieved a yield of about 2 tons/sao, the highest compared to previous years; minus the cost of investing in fertilizer, seeds and buying choai, his family earned a profit of 50 million VND.

People in Linh Hong village, Thanh Linh commune (Thanh Chuong) harvest green squash in the summer-autumn crop of 2017. Photo: Dinh Ha

According to Ms. Tran Thi Thuy - Head of the Linh Hong Village Farmers' Association, growing green squash is very busy but in return, it can be grown in any season. The dry summer-autumn crop is more difficult to care for but always has a high price so people are very excited. In the local land, there is no crop that gives a stable income like green squash, this crop is estimated to reach over 300 million VND/ha, this can be said to be a crop that makes people rich.

Currently, Thanh Lien commune people are also going to the fields to harvest green squash. In addition to the Giang River alluvial land, this year Thanh Lien has converted some rice fields to grow squash. Thanks to the new soil and investment in care, this area has a much higher yield than the area that has been growing squash for a long time.

Green squash is gathered at the edge of the field waiting for businesses to come and buy. Photo: Dinh Ha

Although grown on rice land, the summer-autumn squash crop has avoided flooding. This is a premise for the locality and people to feel more secure and confident for the following crops. Mr. Phan Ba ​​Ngoc - Chairman of Thanh Lien commune shared: As a place with a tradition of growing green squash, from the results of this year's green squash crop, the commune will encourage people to grow squash on high-rice land to be proactive in production and have higher income.

In addition to high productivity, the summer-autumn squash crop in Thanh Chuong also recorded good sales, and people sold it at a higher price; in other crops, it was only 4,500 - 5,000 VND/kg, currently it is 13,000 VND/kg.

According to Ms. Long Tam - owner of a pumpkin purchasing business in Do Luong district, because this season in the Northern provinces is the rainy season, green vegetables are scarce, so pumpkins are easy to sell, the price is often twice as expensive as other seasons. The high price of pumpkins makes both growers and traders excited.

With 100 hectares of summer-autumn squash spread evenly across the localities, the outstanding yield and price of green squash not only contribute to increasing income but also provide a visual, vivid reality for people in Thanh Chuong district to be more bold in converting crops, increasing economic value per unit area. This is a very important requirement in the face of complicated climate change, traditional seedlings may no longer be suitable.

Ha Temple