Fragrant gourds from Anh Son are in season and prices are "dirt cheap".

In the vegetable fields of Cam Son commune, despite the scorching sun, farmers are actively harvesting their gourds. Neatly arranged piles of gourds lie waiting in the fields. While in previous years this time of year was bustling with harvesters and buyers right in the fields, this year the atmosphere is very quiet due to unfavorable market conditions.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Huong's family in Hoi Lam village, Cam Son commune, has a tradition of growing vegetables for over 10 years. This summer-autumn season, her family planted nearly 2 acres of loofah. Ms. Huong said: "Growing loofah doesn't require a large investment and it's an easy crop, so my family has been involved with this crop for a long time. After planting for 45 days,fragrant gourdHarvesting begins daily and can continue for 3-4 months. With this area, last year, Ms. Huong's family harvested an average of 60-80 kg of fruit per day, reaching 120 kg during peak periods. With stable prices, after deducting expenses, each plot of land provided Ms. Huong's family with an income of 10 million VND.

Locals are very worried that traders won't be able to come and buy their produce, thus limiting the market. Photo: Thai Hien

This year, thanks to favorable weather and consistent rainfall, the loofah plants have grown well, producing abundant fruit and high yields. However, due to the Covid-19 pandemic, traders have been unable to purchase the produce, limiting the market and leading to lower prices compared to previous years. Currently, loofah sold at the farm gate is only 2,000 VND/kg.

These days, people are encouraging each other to go to the fields to harvest, some selling on the spot, others posting ads on social media to recoup some of their initial investment. For example, today, Ms. Huong's family harvested 70 kg of gourds. If the price were the same as in previous years, they would have earned over 300,000 VND, but with the current purchase price, they only received a little over 100,000 VND, which isn't worth the effort. Ms. Huong is very worried because the price of gourds will continue to fall during the peak season.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Giang's family in Hoi Lam village, Cam Son commune, planted 1.5 sao (approximately 1500 square meters) of loofah this year. Thanks to proper care and favorable weather, the loofah crop was bountiful. Seeing the abundant fruit hanging heavily on the trellis, they thought they would have a great harvest this year. However, the price was only a few thousand dong, leaving the family disheartened and unwilling to harvest.

Ms. Giang shared: "In previous years, even during peak season, the lowest price was 5,000 VND/kg, but this year it has dropped to 2,000 VND/kg even though it's only the beginning of the season. At this price, it will certainly continue to fall during peak season."

Ms. Nguyen Thi Giang's family in Hoi Lam village, Cam Son commune, planted 1.5 sao (approximately 1500 square meters) of loofah this year. Thanks to favorable weather and consistent rainfall, the loofah has grown well, produced abundant fruit, and yielded a high harvest. Photo: Thai Hien

Due to the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, restaurants are closed, and small traders aren't coming to buy. Now, with the gourds hanging heavily on the vines, it's a shame not to harvest them, but even if you do, you can't sell them. According to Ms. Giang, gourds ripen very quickly; during peak season, a harvest is needed every 1-2 days. At this rate, Ms. Giang is very worried about selling the gourds until the end of the season.

To sell all their produce, farmers have to find their own outlets, taking it to the market and posting ads on social media to sell it. Photo: Thai Hien

Mr. Hoang Manh Hung, Chairman of the People's Committee of Cam Son commune, said: "The commune has the largest area of ​​vegetable crops in Anh Son district, with a wide variety of vegetables and fruits in each season. This summer-autumn season, farmers mainly grow fragrant gourds, concentrated in Ha Du, Hoi Lam and 1/5 villages, with a total area of ​​7-8 hectares in the commune."

As in previous years, each plot of loofah yielded 1.5 to 2 tons, bringing farmers an average of 8-10 million VND per plot. This year's loofah harvest was successful, with abundant fruit, but since the Covid-19 pandemic, people have started to grow their own clean vegetables at home, reducing expenses. Furthermore, due to the pandemic, traders who usually buy farmers' produce haven't come to collect their goods, hindering the flow of produce.