Nghe An: Bananas exported to... provincial markets

(Baonghean.vn) - The banana farm for export in Vien Thanh commune is the first foreign-invested project in the agricultural and rural sector in Yen Thanh (Nghe An). However, the banana products are mainly "exported" for retail sale in the provincial market; and the fact that Globe Farm Company Limited is returning the leased land is also causing many difficulties and frustrations for farmers.

Exported bananas sold at the countryside market

Fruit traders at Khe market in Bao Thanh commune said: Bananas from Globe Farm Korea company are sold in relatively large quantities at the market, both wholesale and retail.

After 6 years of operation, Globe Farm Company Limited, headed by Korean CEO Son Young Wan, has signed a lease for over 54 hectares of agricultural land from over 700 households in 7 hamlets of Vien Thanh commune, planting over 140,000 seedlings, according to a high-tech application program.

However, due to unfavorable weather conditions, unsuitable soil conditions, and ineffective management and production organization by investors, banana output only reached about 750 tons, of which only 149 tons were exported to Korea, and the remaining 600 tons of bananas had to be retailed locally.

Bananas with the “Export” brand of the Korean company Globe Farm are sold at the market, the average wholesale price of a bunch is 10 thousand VND. Retailing, they mainly sell ripe bananas, by kilogram, at a price of 2,500 - 3,000 VND/kg.

At Khe market in Bao Thanh commune - one of the wholesale markets, the center of exchange, business and trade in the southern region of Yen Thanh district, through research, most of the fruit traders here confirmed that the bananas of the company in Vien Thanh are brought to the market for sale.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Nga - A fruit seller said: I often buy bananas from a company in Vien Thanh, because I buy and sell gradually, I usually buy bananas that are still a bit green, wholesale for people, on average a bunch costs 10 thousand VND.

Learning more, it is known that each market session, bananas with the "Export" brand of Globe Farm Company Limited are "exported" for retail sale at the markets, but it seems to be very modest because they have to compete with bananas from other places and families who grow them themselves and bring them to the market to sell.

According to the company representative, since 2014, the company has not exported any bananas but mainly sells them in batches and retails them at markets. Revenue from retail sales is about 800 million VND, now the company is only arranging a few technical staff to maintain planting and caring for about 20 hectares to have more products to sell gradually to maintain the company's operations.

Farmers' difficulties

The project of growing and processing bananas for export of Globe Farm Co., Ltd. of Korea is in a difficult situation, the consequence is that the banana growing area is narrowed, workers are unemployed. In particular, in addition to the large debt of land rent causing frustration for the people, the company's return of unused land has also pushed farmers into difficulties.

Present in the Cay Truong field, more than 6 hectares wide, which used to be the crop land of more than 200 households in hamlet 8 and Dinh Hat hamlet, which was returned by the Korean company Globe Farm nearly two years ago. A large field, but only half of Dinh Hat hamlet has peanuts and corn, the other half is fallow land, leaving room for people to graze buffaloes and cows.

An area of ​​nearly 3 hectares in the Cay Truong field of 68 households in hamlet 8, Vien Thanh commune, which produced corn without harvesting and was abandoned by the people, has been contracted by a household, and is completing procedures to renovate the land and build a concentrated intensive farming model.

Mr. Nguyen Dinh Son - Hamlet 8 Chief said: The hamlet has 5.5 hectares of fertile land of 68 households renting land to grow bananas, the company returned nearly 3 hectares, we mobilized people to grow crops, grow corn, but the first crop because the land handed over to the company to grow bananas for a long time lost all nutrients, the weather became increasingly harsh so there was no harvest, people left the land fallow and no one wanted to work.

Contacting us, Ms. Nguyen Thi Toan, from Dinh Hat hamlet, was taking advantage of the opportunity to weed peanuts in Cay Truong field and said: The company rented the land and then returned it, causing difficulties for the people. For example, my family had 9 meters of land and the company returned it, so my family agreed and shared the difficulties with the company, but after three crops, corn and peanuts have had much lower productivity than before. In addition to the dry and rainy weather, the reason for the reduced productivity is that the company did not return the land to its original state when returning the land. When receiving the land back, the family had to spend more than 200,000 VND to rent a machine to level the land, not to mention the days of labor of the couple and children to work in the fields to improve the land.

Mr. Nguyen Dinh Son - head of hamlet 8 and Mr. Nguyen Huu Khanh - head of Dinh Hat hamlet, Vien Thanh commune, looked at the list of debts that the Korean company Globe Farm owes people, the amount is up to several hundred million dong.

Dinh Hat Hamlet, Vien Thanh Commune has more than 8.5 hectares of land for growing crops for rent, but more than 3 hectares of land belonging to 30 households in Cay Truong field have been returned to Globe Farm Company. Mr. Nguyen Huu Khanh - Head of Dinh Hat Hamlet said: Implementing the direction of the Party Committee, the Commune People's Committee and the hamlet committee, we will continue to mobilize people to do everything possible. After three crops of intercropping peanuts and corn, the yield has decreased compared to before, but people still have more income.

Tu Anh