Tons of medicinal fruits in the highlands of Nghe An await traders to 'rescue'
(Baonghean.vn) - Bo bo is considered a crop that eliminates hunger and reduces poverty for people in the border area of Ky Son (Nghe An). This medicinal plant is entering its main season but there are few buyers.
The family of Mrs. Ho Y Rua in Huoi Mu village, Huoi Tu commune, Ky Son district has planted and protected nearly 2 hectares of bo bo trees. Mrs. Y Rua said: “In previous years, this area of medicinal plants brought her family from 30 to 40 million VND per year.
However, this year, the bo bo has ripened on the tree, so her family took the opportunity to collect it, dry it, and wait for traders to come and buy it. However, the bo bo is increasing in quantity and the traders are nowhere to be seen, making her family worried.
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| Mrs. Ho Y Rua harvests her family's bo bo and waits for traders to come and buy. Photo: Lu Phu |
At this time, the bo bo of the Mong people in the highland commune of Huoi Tu has begun to ripen and the fruit has fallen, but has not been harvested because there are no traders coming to buy it. According to the authorities of Huoi Tu commune, the whole commune has more than 24 hectares of bo bo trees, planted in most of the villages in the commune.
In previous years, bo bo brought a large source of income to people in the commune, with each household earning an average of 20 to 45 million VND per year.
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| The number of old bo bo trees is past the harvest time, so many areas have experienced fruit drop. Photo: Lu Phu |
Mr. Ho Ba Rua - Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Huoi Tu Commune, Ky Son District shared: "Bo bo is the main source of income that people in the commune look forward to the most during the year, but the bo bo buying season has passed this time, but up to now, no traders have come to buy or place orders. People in the commune are worried that the bo bo will fall and cannot be harvested, so they pick it and store it, hoping that traders will come to buy it later."
Without buyers, not only do bo bo growers lose their crops, many households that regularly process and dry this herbal fruit are also at risk of losing money.
According to Ms. Luong Thi Tim, a household that processes dried bo bo in Ba village, Huu Kiem commune, this year her family invested more than 15 million VND in capital to purchase bo bo and pay for workers to peel the shell, but for nearly a month now, no one has asked to buy more than 500 kg of dried bo bo.
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| There are no traders to buy, so households process the tapioca and wait. Photo: Lu Phu |
“My family does not do farming, we do whatever season we want. In the bo bo season, we process bo bo to sell, in the dot season, we make dot. But this year, no one asked to buy bo bo. The investment capital is small. If we invest in buying bo bo and then there are no buyers, we have no money to turn around. If in previous years, at this time, they would come to buy very busily, but this year, no one has come,” said Ms. Luong Thi Tim, Ba village, Huu Kiem commune.
According to data from Ky Son district, the whole district has about 150 to 180 hectares of bo bo, grown in many communes of Tay Son, Nam Can, Na Ngoi, Huoi Tu, Muong Long and scattered in some other communes. In late May, June and July, when some crops such as rice, corn, taro, ginger and squash have just been planted and have not been harvested, bo bo is the main source of income for ethnic minorities in the highland district of Ky Son in the lean season. Some models are implemented by agricultural extension, the rest grow spontaneously in the forest.
Normally, 1 kg of bo bo costs from 35 to 42 thousand VND/kg, sometimes up to 50 thousand VND/kg. However, this year, there are few buyers of bo bo. Bo bo is mainly bought by traders to China.
The product of bo bo depends too much on the Chinese market, like this time last year it was 40 thousand VND/kg, but this year it is only 20 - 22 thousand VND, and there are very few traders buying, making people worried. Specialized agencies are also coordinating to find businesses and cooperatives to purchase bo bo for people. We are also recommending the Department of Science and Technology to evaluate the quality and effects of bo bo in order to coordinate with domestic pharmaceutical companies to purchase so that people can feel secure.
