Stone tiles and stone powder are difficult to sell, and many businesses in Quy Hop are operating at a reduced capacity.

At this time, visiting a limestone powder processing unit in the small industrial zone of Tho Hop commune, Quy Hop district, one no longer sees the bustling activity of trucks coming and going, transporting limestone powder as before; it is now quite quiet.

A representative from the company stated: "For a long time, limestone powder has mainly been exported to markets in China, India, etc., but since around May 2024, the market has been particularly difficult, and the quantity of limestone powder purchased by partners has been very limited."

Not to mention, businesses are also facing lower prices and higher shipping costs compared to previous years. Specifically, in 2023, the price of limestone powder was 1.1 million VND/ton, but now it only reaches 500,000-700,000 VND/ton. Due to difficulties in sales, our company currently only dares to produce according to orders.

Mr. Truong Van Hoan, Chairman of the People's Committee of Tho Hop commune, added: The Tho Hop small industrial zone in Tho Hop commune currently has more than 40 small and medium-sized mineral processing facilities, including 3 facilities processing stone powder for export, and the rest are facilities processing cut stone for paving. For a long time, this small industrial zone has created jobs for over 1,000 local workers and those from neighboring communes.

However, due to difficulties in sales, over 15 facilities have temporarily suspended production, while the remaining facilities are operating at a reduced capacity, forcing approximately 400 workers to switch to other occupations.

The owner of a stone processing facility in the Thung Khuoc small industrial zone, Quy Hop town, said: "In previous years, paving stones were very easy to sell, mainly exported to the Middle East. But recently, there have been times when they stopped buying, so now the facility has a large quantity of unsold goods. There's no place to store the paving stones, so they have to be piled outdoors, causing them to become moldy."

In recent years, purchasing power has decreased significantly, orders are scarce, especially in the three months leading up to Tet (Lunar New Year), when we can't sell any products. After Tet, we hoped to find new orders, but there weren't any. Currently, we are still operating at a reduced capacity to retain our workers.

Mr. Kim Thanh Xuyen, Head of the Economic and Infrastructure Department of Quy Hop District, said: The entire Quy Hop district currently has 5 small industrial clusters, including more than 20 enterprises exporting mineral products, mainly limestone powder and paving stones, to other countries. Due to the limited consumption in the markets of India, Bangladesh, and China, most units have to operate at a reduced capacity.

In particular, there is still a significant amount of unsold paving stones. The fact that businesses are operating at a reduced capacity is causing many negative consequences, such as impacting the district's budget revenue and leaving many workers in the district unemployed.

During this challenging period, Quy Hop district is creating favorable conditions for businesses by continuing to upgrade and invest in the synchronized infrastructure of small industrial zones, such as electricity, roads, and drainage systems.

According to forecasts, the mineral processing industry, especially the production of paving stones and stone powder, will continue to face many difficulties. The district advises businesses to invest in applying scientific and technological advancements for deep processing and diversifying their product lines. This will reduce production costs and enhance competitiveness in the market. They should also expand into domestic and export markets.