Con Cuong: Lemon crop failure, low price

(Baonghean.vn) - This year's lemon crop in Chi Khe commune (Con Cuong) failed and prices dropped, making people's lives more difficult.

Bai Oi village, Chi Khe commune is the locality with the largest lemon growing area in Con Cuong district, with a total area of ​​nearly 100 hectares, of which over 75 hectares have been harvested. If in previous years, at this time the price of lemons in the garden was 6,000 VND/kg, households could earn a profit of over 30 million VND/ha, this year it has decreased to 3,500 - 4,000 VND/kg.

Mr. Bui Dinh Quynh in Bai Oi village, Chi Khe commune harvests lemons to salvage some of his income. Photo: Ba Hau

Mr. Bui Dinh Quynh in Bai Oi village, Chi Khe commune said: If in previous years, on an area of ​​1 hectare, the family earned 30 million VND, this year due to unfavorable weather, more than 200 lemon trees withered and died, plus the price was too low at only 3,500 VND/kg, the family only earned 2/3.

Compared to previous years, this year on an area of ​​1 hectare, people only harvested 5 tons, compared to 8 tons in previous seasons. Photo: Ba Hau

The reason for this situation, according to growers, is partly due to the abundance of lemons from the South, which are flooding in at cheap prices and are fiercely competing, and partly due to climate change causing prolonged drought, killing lemons and reducing productivity...

According to Mr. Le Van Tam, head of Bai Oi village: Lemon trees are a type of tree that only needs to be invested and cared for once and then harvested for a long time, and the care costs are not expensive. Normally, lemon trees take about 3 years to bear fruit, the older the tree, the higher the yield. Up to now, Bai Oi village has 104 households, 100% of which live on lemon trees as their main source of income. In previous years, lemon prices were high, people were excited, and many households expanded their acreage. But this year, prices are low, and people can only salvage a part of it.

Despite crop failure and low prices, people are forced to harvest and sell. Photo: Ba Hau

According to Mr. Bui The Hien, Chairman of Chi Khe Commune Farmers' Association:Implementing the project of converting crop structure, increasing value per unit area, over the past 10 years, lemon has been considered one of the main crops bringing high economic value. However, this year, the selling price is too low, causing lemon growers to lose revenue. In the near future, we will promote and mobilize growers to switch to combining off-season lemon cultivation, to have a more stable source of income.

Minh Hanh-Ba Hau