Shallots are priced well, Nghi Loc farmers rush to harvest early

The family of Ms. Nguyen Thi Nhung in Hamlet 12, Nghi Lam Commune (Nghi Loc) produces nearly 1.5 sao of chives. Calculating the growing time, the chives will not be ready to be harvested until the second lunar month. However, since the full moon of January until now, when traders buy chives at a higher price than last year, she has started harvesting.

“If we wait a few more weeks, the onions will be firmer and the yield will increase, but by then it will be the peak season and we don’t know if the price will still be the same as now. Therefore, we harvest early to be sure,” Nhung shared.

Although the shallots are not yet "mature", they sell for a high price so Nghi Loc people still harvest them. Photo: Nhat Tuan

That is also the common thought of many onion-growing households in Nghi Loc district. This year, the whole district planted about 150 hectares of shallots, concentrated in Nghi Lam and Nghi Thuan communes; the yield was approximately 7 quintals/sao. According to the season, the peak harvest will be around mid-February of the lunar calendar. However, in the days before Tet after the Lunar New Year of Mau Tuat, traders have started buying shallots at high prices of 55,000 - 60,000 VND/kg.

At that time, onion growers were still focused on planting rice and peanuts, and preparing for Tet, so few people had the opportunity to harvest. After the full moon of January, onions were purchased for 30,000 - 32,000 VND/kg. In recent days, the price has been around 20,000 - 23,000 VND/kg. However, compared to last year's 15,000 VND/kg, the current price is still acceptable to onion growers. If the price is stable, each sao of shallots will bring in an income of 14 - 15 million VND. Therefore, harvesting early is the solution chosen by many onion growers.

After harvesting, shallots are cleaned by households before being sold. If left too long, the shallots will lose weight. Photo: Nhat Tuan

Harvesting shallots also takes a lot of time. The house is crowded, each day they harvest 60-70 kg. The shallots brought from the field must be cleaned of trash and roots. The shallots are not mature enough, the roots are still fresh, so cleaning takes longer. In return, the shallot growers do not have to struggle to find consumers, but people come to their homes to buy them.

Shallots are currently priced from 20,000 - 23,000 VND/kg. Photo: Nhat Tuan

Traders are local farmers who have capital and can find consumers. For example, in Nghi Lam commune, there are currently over a dozen people doing this job. Ms. Nguyen Thi Nga - a shallot buyer in hamlet 13, Nghi Lam commune said: On average, she collects one ton of shallots per day. Before packing for shipping, the shallots must be sorted again. The shallots are imported to buyers in Vinh city and some neighboring districts; after deducting expenses, Ms. Nga earns a profit of 1-1.5 million VND/day from this service.