Lemon prices have plummeted to record lows, leaving people unmotivated to harvest them.

Mr. Vo Truong Nang's family in Nam Kim commune, Nam Dan district, owns over 100 lemon trees. This has been one of the main sources of income for his family for many years. However, this year, the price of lemons has dropped to a record low, leaving him restless. Looking at the trees laden with fruit but not knowing who to sell them to, Mr. Nang couldn't help but feel disheartened.

Lemon harvesting season is currently underway in Nam Dan and Hung Nguyen districts. Photo: Nguyen Chau

"In previous years, the price of lemons fluctuated from 20,000 to 25,000 VND/kg at the orchard, peaking at 30,000 VND/kg during hot weather, with buyers snapping them up as soon as they were harvested. But this year, we've suffered heavy losses. Lemons harvested at the orchard only fetch 3,000 VND/kg, with the best ones reaching 5,000 VND/kg. It's not worth the effort of harvesting them...", Mr. Nang sighed.

This sentiment is shared not only by Mr. Nang but also by hundreds of lemon-growing households in the area.Nam Kim communeThis locality has the largest area of ​​lemon cultivation in Nam Dan district. According to our reporter's observations, the lemon orchards in the area are all laden with fruit, but few people are harvesting them because of the low price; some fruits are old and withered on the trees.

Lemons are abundant this year, but prices have dropped to record lows. Photo: Nguyen Chau

Mr. Dang Van Dien, a lemon buyer in Nam Kim commune, said: "This year the market is very weak, so we can't import large quantities and have to select only first-grade lemons to ensure sales. Not to mention that during the pandemic, transporting goods from one region to another has been difficult, so many lemon buyers have temporarily stopped trading. The surplus of lemons is understandable."

Mr. Trinh Xuan Hung, Chairman of the People's Committee of Nam Kim commune, said: "Currently, there are 240 hectares of lemon trees in the area. This has been the main crop of the locality for many years. However, this year, lemon growers have suffered losses, even though prices have dropped sharply, and it is still difficult to sell them. We are also trying to connect with businesses and organizations to purchase lemons from farmers, but finding a buyer during this pandemic is very difficult."

Due to difficulties in consumption during the pandemic, traders are only importing grade 1 lemons, limiting large-scale imports compared to previous years. Photo: Nguyen Chau

Not only in Nam Dan district but also in Hung Nguyen district, lemon prices are at their lowest level in many years. According to statistics, Hung Nguyen district has 400 hectares of lemon trees, concentrated in the communes of Hung Yen Nam, Hung Yen Bac, Hung Trung, Hung Tay, etc., with Hung Yen Nam commune having the largest area at about 200 hectares.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Yen, Agricultural OfficerHung Yen Nam communeAccording to the report: "Faced with the situation of a bumper harvest but low prices, in recent times, youth union members, farmers' associations, women's associations, etc., have connected with units in the district to jointly rescue lemons for the people. As a result, by September 23rd, nearly 20 tons of lemons had been purchased in time. However, this is only a temporary solution; in the long term, it is necessary to connect with units to guarantee the purchase of the farmers' produce."

Units join forces to rescue lemons for people in Hung Yen Nam commune, Hung Nguyen district. Photo: Nguyen Chau.

Reportedly, the reason for the plummeting lemon prices in Nghe An province is that it is currently the peak harvest season, with supply exceeding demand. In addition, the Covid-19 pandemic has severely impacted lemon consumption, as many restaurants, cafeterias, and markets are still temporarily closed. The lack of traders has forced farmers to sell their lemons retail, but the sales volume is negligible compared to the total lemon production in the area.

In Vinh City, according to a survey conducted at markets and agricultural product stores on the morning of September 23rd, the price of lemons currently ranges from 7,000 to 10,000 VND/kg depending on the variety. With the pandemic gradually being brought under control, restaurants and eateries in the area are preparing to reopen, so many owners have taken advantage of the low price to buy lemons in large quantities to stock up for future business.