What solutions are there to ensure stable pineapple sales for farmers in Quynh Luu?

Pineapple growers suffer losses.

At this time, pineapple growers in several communes of Quynh Luu district are entering the harvest season to sell to traders. Unlike last year when pineapples fetched good prices, this year the price has dropped sharply, causing pineapple growers to suffer losses.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Nga, a pineapple farmer in Tan Thang commune, is unhappy because pineapple prices have dropped sharply this year. Photo: Quang An

Mrs. Hoang Thi Nga and her husband, residing in Hamlet 1, Tong Doi, Tan Thang Commune, arepineapple harvestingAccording to the seller, pineapple prices plummeted right from the start of this year's harvest season, ranging from 2,000 to 5,000 VND/kg. At this price, the family is losing money compared to their investment costs.

Ms. Nga stated that achieving a pineapple yield of over 25 tons per hectare requires significant investment in fertilizers. For example, her family cultivates 6 hectares of pineapples, requiring an investment of 7 tons of NPK fertilizer per hectare per year, along with land preparation and care costs of approximately 40 million VND, bringing the total estimated cost to around 110 million VND. With the current average pineapple price of 3,500 VND/kg, a yield of 30 tons per hectare would result in a loss of approximately 10 million VND.

"Every year, 100% of our pineapples are sold to traders, who set the prices. No factories or businesses come to buy them. Therefore, what we pineapple growers want is for a factory to buy directly from the farm at a reasonable price, so that we don't have to worry about finding buyers," shared Ms. Hoang Thi Nga.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Thang - onetradersIn Quynh Vinh commune (Hoang Mai town), a farmer shared that this year there is a large quantity of pineapples on the market, including pineapples from other provinces, so consumption is slow. Previously, she alone could sell 4 tons of pineapples for farmers each day, but now it's only 400-500 kg, mainly sold retail at markets and along the roadside. As for prices, we traders depend on the market to purchase; when sales are fast, we raise the price and vice versa.

Pineapple cultivation requires high investment and hard work, but low selling prices cause farmers to suffer losses. Photo: Quang An

Some traders using trucks to transport goods added that, due to the above...marketThere is an oversupply of pineapples, making it difficult to sell them in the southern provinces. As a result, only one shipment can be made per week, slowing down the sales for farmers. Many families whose pineapples are ready for harvest have contacted buyers, but they haven't been able to sell them because the goods aren't selling well.

There will be factories coming in to sign purchasing agreements.

Tan Thang is currently the pineapple hub of Quynh Luu district in particular and Nghe An province in general, with an estimated 650 hectares of pineapple plantations producing tens of thousands of tons of pineapples annually, generating significant income for the local people. Faced with the reality of sharply falling pineapple prices and difficulties in selling them on the market, the local authorities have had to proactively intervene.

Speaking with reporters, Mr. Nguyen Quoc Khanh, Chairman of the Tan Thang Commune People's Committee, said: Pineapple is one of the locality's main crops, therefore, the unstable price of pineapples, entirely dependent on independent traders, is a concern for the local government. According to our findings, the reason for the sharp drop in pineapple prices this year is that businesses are having difficulty exporting to foreign countries, especially the European market. As a result, factories are purchasing large quantities of pineapples, causing domestic pineapple supply to exceed demand.

The Tan Thang commune authorities have implemented solutions to help farmers sell their pineapples, including encouraging traders to expand the market. Photo: Xuan Hoang

In response to this situation, the leaders of Tan Thang commune recently contacted several pineapple processing factories inside and outside the province to find solutions for selling pineapples for the local people. Among them, the Dong Giao pineapple processing factory in Ninh Binh province has promised to soon come to the area and directly contract with pineapple growers for long-term consumption, considering Tan Thang as a pineapple raw material area for the Dong Giao factory.

"Previously, there were factories in the province that purchased pineapples from farmers; however, the amount purchased annually by the factories was insignificant compared to the local pineapple production. Therefore, most of the pineapples here are bought by traders, leading to a passive approach in the consumption process," said Mr. Nguyen Quoc Khanh.

"Currently, prices have dropped significantly even though it's only the beginning of the harvest season. In about a month, when the main harvest season arrives, the daily pineapple production will be much higher. Therefore, the local authorities hope that the Dong Giao pineapple processing factory will soon have a plan to sign a contract to purchase pineapples from farmers to ensure a stable market for the product."

Mr. Nguyen Quoc Khanh - Chairman of the People's Committee of Tan Thang Commune

At the same time, the commune is currently working with several large traders to expand the consumer market, especially since the government has a policy of opening up tourism, which presents an opportunity.consumePineapples at tourist destinations.

In addition, the commune also encouraged people not to expand the pineapple growing area and to plant and cultivate pineapples in staggered seasons to avoid a situation where all crops are harvested at the same time, leading to "supply exceeding demand" at a particular moment.

In Quynh Luu district, there are over 1,000 hectares of pineapple plantations, mainly in Tan Thang, Quynh Thang, and Quynh Chau communes. The main pineapple harvest season is from March to June.