Fresh peanuts in Nghe An are having a good harvest and fetching good prices.

In the spring of 2024, Dien Chau district planted 2,200 hectares of peanuts. After nearly four months of planting, farmers have begun harvesting. In the fields of Ngoc My village, Dien Hung commune, the joy of a bountiful harvest has somewhat eased the hardships of the farmers.

At Mr. Nguyen Xuan Bang's family farm, eight laborers were mobilized to speed up the harvesting process. Mr. Bang said: "My family planted 10 acres of spring peanuts. People in the field are helping each other with the harvest to speed things up. After harvesting, we sell the peanuts fresh in the field to save labor and get a good price. This year, the peanut yield reached 3.5-4 quintals per acre, bringing in over 5 million VND."

With a tradition of planting early spring peanuts, farmers in Dien Hung commune are the first in the district to sell peanuts. Here, farmers mainly sell fresh peanuts to traders in the fields, for export, or to meet the demand of restaurants inside and outside the province at the beginning of the tourist season. Peanuts are purchased directly from the fields by traders at a price of 15-16 thousand VND/kg, 2 thousand VND/kg higher than last year. This year, farmers are delighted because the peanuts are more abundant than last year.

Mr. Tran Thong, Chairman of the People's Committee of Dien Hung commune, said: "Dien Hung planted nearly 300 hectares of spring peanuts. The People's Committee of the commune has formed a team to inspect the yield of the spring crop. The results show that the yield of fresh peanuts currently being harvested averages 3.5 quintals per sao (approximately 350 kg per 1000 square meters). This can be said to be a comprehensively successful spring crop for the people."

In the spring of 2024, Dien Thinh commune led the entire Dien Chau district in peanut cultivation area with nearly 400 hectares. At this time, farmers in Dien Thinh commune have begun harvesting their spring peanuts. Producers are satisfied because this season's peanut crop not only has high yields but also beautiful, uniform, and high-quality tubers. Ms. Tran Thi Huong from Hamlet 10, Dien Thinh commune, who is harvesting peanuts, said: “The seed source is reliable, planting is done according to the seasonal schedule, care is provided according to the instructions of the agricultural sector, and with the support of the weather, the spring peanut yield in Dien Thinh commune this year is high.”

Of the 2,200 hectares of spring peanuts in Dien Chau district, approximately 1,000 hectares were harvested and sold fresh, equivalent to nearly 7,000 tons. Farmers sold the fresh peanuts directly from the fields to markets in many provinces nationwide and exported them to China. With high yields of 3.5 - 4 quintals per sao (approximately 1000 square meters) of fresh peanuts, they earned an average of 5 million VND per sao. Harvesting peanuts for fresh sale shortens the growing season by half a month, creating favorable conditions for farmers to sow 1,900 hectares of summer-autumn sesame early.

Mr. Le The Hieu, Head of the Agriculture and Rural Development Department of Dien Chau, said: “In the spring crop, farmers in Dien Chau mainly plant peanut varieties such as L23, L14, and the local lotus peanut variety. These peanut varieties are effective, high-yielding, suitable for the local soil conditions, and have good resistance to pests and diseases. Especially in recent years, we have revived the local lotus peanut variety because the peanuts are of very good quality and are favored by domestic and international markets.”

According to expert analysis, favorable weather conditions, coupled with the stability of the seed varieties and intensive farming practices, are the reasons for a bumper peanut harvest. It is expected that by mid-May, farmers in Dien Chau will have finished harvesting the spring peanut crop and completed planting the summer-autumn sesame crop.