Lemon prices fall dramatically, growers in Hung Nguyen 'sell like they're giving away'

(Baonghean.vn) - MoreOver the past month, lemon prices in the two communes of Hung Yen Nam - Bac, Hung Nguyen district have dropped, people have had to "sell like they're giving away"; not to mention that after the flood, many lemon trees fell, rotted, lost fruit and died.

Mr. Nguyen Van Phuc in Hamlet 1, Hung Yen Nam Commune currently has 2 lemon gardens, one with 400 trees, the other with 200 trees. After the recent flood, his family suffered damage to more than 100 trees due to the wind and rain causing the trees to be uprooted, broken, and rotten. The uprooted trees have difficulty surviving, cannot absorb nutrients, so the leaves turn yellow, the fruit does not grow, and cannot be harvested.

After the recent heavy rain and flood, Mr. Nguyen Van Phuc in Hamlet 1, Hung Yen Nam Commune suffered damage to more than 100 lemon trees. Photo: Cao Quang

In Hung Yen Nam and Hung Yen Bac communes, lemon trees are still the main crop. The entire Hung Yen Nam commune has more than 200 hectares of lemon trees, with an annual output of over 800 tons. However, in recent years, lemon prices have fluctuated due to a narrowing market as many places have started growing lemons, with supply exceeding demand, causing lemon prices to fall despite a good harvest.

“In previous years, we sold for 1.8 million VND/quintal, traders came to the garden to buy, this year we also sold for 1.8 million VND/ton. The price of lemons is low, so when affected by storms and rains, many households do not want to invest in fertilization. We also thought about whether we should destroy the lemon trees to plant other trees" - Mr. Phuc shared.

Mr. Nguyen Viet Tinh's garden in Hamlet 1, Hung Yen Nam Commune has more than 200 lemon trees. After the recent flood, more than 60 trees were damaged, some had to be cut down. Currently, his family has many trees that have not been harvested because there is no market. Even if the lemons are sold, it will not be enough to pay the workers to harvest.

A lemon tree that is not cared for, ripe fruit falls off, grass climbs up the tree trunk because it is not cleaned. Photo: Cao Quang

According to Mr. Phan Bui Hieu - Vice Chairman of Hung Yen Nam Commune People's Committee, "Lemons are mainly grown in hamlets 1, 2, 3, 8A, 8B, 9, 10, 11. Currently, the price of lemons has dropped to a record low of 1,800 - 4,000 VND/kg depending on the type, combined with the damage caused by the recent storm and flood, causing people to suffer, having a good harvest but not being able to sell, and not wanting to save dead lemons."

“During meetings with voters, people have reflected and wished for the government's help in the output of lemon trees, but due to many objective factors such as: scale, inconvenient transportation, etc., the output of Hung Yen Nam lemons is still difficult. In particular, traders often force down prices, making it even more difficult for people. This year in particular, due to falling prices and the impact of storms and floods, lemon growers have lost everything,” said Mr. Phan Bui Hieu.

In such a situation, lemon growers in Hung Nguyen area are trying to take care of the remaining lemon trees waiting for the off-season harvest during Tet holiday with the expectation of better prices to compensate for losses during the main season.

Cao Quang - Thanh Huy