Nghe An: Onion prices increase at the end of the season, farmers are excited

Present on the fieldsshallotsIn Ru Than hamlet (Nghi Thuan commune, Nghi Loc), people are making all efforts to harvest all the remaining onion acreage. During the main season, onion prices fluctuate at only 14,000 - 15,000 VND/kg, but there are no buyers, making onion growers frustrated. But onions are a short-season crop, cannot be kept for long, and are difficult to preserve, so people accept losses, find ways to manage, and sell all the harvested onions at low prices.

Currently, the price of shallots has increased by 4,000-5,000 VND/kg. Photo: Thanh Phuc

Mr. Nguyen Dinh Hong - Village ChiefRu Than hamlet, Nghi Thuan communesaid: “The whole hamlet has more than 100 households growing shallots with an area of ​​over 7 hectares. This year, the shallot crop is good, with a yield of 1.5 quintals/sao, the bulbs are big, round and beautiful. Before Tet, the price of shallots was up to 40,000 VND/kg, but at that time the shallots were still young and not ready to be harvested, only a few families picked them up to sell retail at the markets.

However, during the main harvest season, when people harvest in large quantities, the price of onions drops to only 14,000 VND/kg, making it difficult to sell, and people have to transport them to import from everywhere. Currently, people have harvested nearly 90% of the area, the price of onions has increased to 20,000 VND/kg, and traders buy them at home and in the fields. However, at present, the quantity of onions is not much left.

With a price of 20,000 VND/kg, onion growers can only make a profit in the context of sharp increases in input material prices. Photo: Thanh Phuc

This year's onion crop, the investment costs for onion cultivation such as land preparation, fertilizers, pesticides, etc. have all doubled compared to last year. Therefore, the onion growing area has decreased and with the early season selling price, farmers have suffered heavy losses. Currently, onion prices have increased, farmers are focusing on harvesting and selling to traders to recover some of the costs they have spent.

Mr. Hoang Van Ich, an onion grower in Nghi Thuan, said: “A few weeks ago, when the price of onions hit rock bottom and I couldn’t sell them, I didn’t harvest them right away and spread rice husks on the onions to prevent them from changing color. Now that the price of onions has increased, traders are coming to my house to buy them. My family is very happy because we have recovered some of the investment costs we spent.”

Onions are purchased by traders at the spot. Photo: Thanh Phuc

"Last year, due to the low price of onions, people stored them until the end of the season to sell. However, at the end of the season, the price dropped dramatically, to 10,000 - 12,000 VND/kg, so this year only a few households dared to store onions. Unexpectedly, the price of onions went up again. Like my family, there were only a few onions left to harvest, of which, we had to deduct the seeds. But it is also a good thing that at the end of the season, there were no more onions left, and there was more money to reinvest in the next onion crop," said Ms. Nguyen Thi Lam, hamlet 8, Nghi Lam commune.

In other growing areas such as Do Luong, Thanh Chuong, Nam Dan... onions are harvested later, and the price of onions increases, so people are very excited to stay in the fields to harvest, import for traders, and clean, dry, and store seeds for the next crop.

At the end of the season, onions are old and in short supply, demand increases so prices increase. Photo: Thanh Phuc

Mr. Nguyen Van Loi, an agent specializing in purchasing shallots in Vinh city, said: “For about a week now, the price of shallots has increased by 4,000-5,000 VND/kg, up to 20,000-22,000 VND. We buy as much as people come to buy. In addition, we also order traders to collect and transport them by truck. Then, we export the goods to provinces and cities across the country. The price of shallots has increased and is easier to consume because restaurants and eateries have reopened; another reason is that it is the end of the season so there are not many shallots left.”