Nghe An: Early harvest season, shallot prices increase

In the onion growing field in Nghi Lam commune (Nghi Loc), people are at the beginning of the onion harvest season. Photo: Thanh Phuc

Growing 2 sao of chives, Mr. Nguyen Van Thien in Hamlet 8, Nghi Lam Commune (Nghi Loc) is actively harvesting the first crop of onions. Before Tet, he harvested green onions to sell, and since Tet, he has started harvesting onion bulbs.

Compared to previous years, the price of onions at the beginning of the season this year has doubled, at times almost tripled. Accordingly, the peak price of onions imported to traders was 75,000 VND/kg, then gradually decreased to 60,000 VND/kg and is now at 45,000 VND/kg.

The price of onions at the beginning of the season has increased, currently at 45,000 VND/kg. Photo: Thanh Phuc

Mr. Nguyen Van Thien said: “The price of onions at the beginning of the season in previous years ranged from 25,000 to 45,000 VND at the highest, while the price of onions during the main season dropped to only 14,000-15,000 VND/kg and was difficult to sell. This year, the price of onions at the beginning of the season is higher and easier to sell.”

Early-season onions are expensive and easy to sell, so people are taking advantage of the opportunity to harvest them. Photo: Thanh Phu

The price of onions at the beginning of the season is high, so people are taking advantage of the time to harvest the firm, old onions that have begun to shed their leaves early to sell to traders. In Nghi Thuan commune, people are also taking advantage of this time to harvest onions when the weather is favorable and the price of onions is high. Mr. Nguyen Van Hong - Head of Ru Than hamlet - a hamlet with a large area of ​​onions in Nghi Thuan commune (Nghi Loc) said: "The whole hamlet has 7 hectares of onions, nearly 90% of households grow onions. This is the main crop of the hamlet, bringing the main income to the people. With the high price at the beginning of the season, at times 70,000-75,000 VND/kg, households with old onions and early harvest also have a significant income. Currently, people in Ru Than hamlet have harvested 40% of the area".

Many households do not wait for the whole field to shed leaves, but choose to harvest the old onions first to sell them when the onion price is high. Photo: Thanh Phuc

The reason for the high price of onions at the beginning of the season is because the onion harvest has not yet begun. In specialized onion growing areas, only about 25-30% of the onion area is ready for harvest. Meanwhile, people's demand has increased as the onion reserves have run out. After Tet, restaurants, hotels, and collective kitchens have resumed operations, so the demand for processed onions has also increased.

Supply is not much, while demand is increasing, so onion prices are pushed up. However, according to traders, the price of onions at the beginning of this season is the highest in the past 3 years. During the main season, onion prices will certainly decrease...

Standard shallots are old, ivory white, firm bulbs, with leaves and roots that have completely decomposed. Photo: Thanh Phuc

Ms. Duyen Thoa - a trader specializing in buying onions in Nghi Loc district said: "This year, the price of shallots at the beginning of the season is quite high, easy to sell, and the northern dealers are also focusing on purchasing. However, at this time in Nghe An, the harvest season has not yet begun, so the amount of onions sold on the market is not much. According to predictions, this year, when the harvest season begins, the price of onions will fluctuate around 23,000-27,000 VND/kg. With this price, onion growers still make a profit."