Nghe An: Thousands of tons of vegetables 'lying in the fields' waiting for output
(Baonghean.vn) - Currently, it is the main harvest season of the Nghi Thuan intercropping vegetable growing area (Nghi Loc), but due to lack of output, nearly 50 hectares of vegetables with a yield of thousands of tons are still "lying in the fields" waiting for buyers...
Thousands of tons of vegetables are stuck
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| 50 hectares of vegetables in Nghi Thuan commune are ready to be harvested but have to stay in the fields because there is no place to sell them. Photo: Thanh Phuc |
In previous years, on these days, Mr. Ha Van Quy’s family in Binh Thuan hamlet, Nghi Thuan commune “worked from dawn to dusk” to harvest 8 sao of vegetables in time for traders to buy. This year, 8 sao of vegetables are also in the main harvest season, but his family only dared to cut vegetables in moderation because there was no place to sell them.
Mr. Quy said: "8 saomixed with shallots,If in previous years, 4-5 crops were harvested, now only 2 crops can be sold, mainly through organizations, unions, and benefactors who buy vegetables to support places that are locked down due to the epidemic in modest quantities. Currently, the vegetables have reached the harvest but we don't know who to cut and sell them to.
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| Fearing that the vegetables would be overripe and turn yellow, people harvested them and waited for buyers, accepting to sell them by the kilogram. Photo: Thanh Phuc |
Binh Thuan is also the hamlet that grows the most vegetables in the commune with an area of nearly 35 hectares. According to Mr. Tran Xuan Thang - Head of Binh Thuan hamlet, "the main income of the people in the hamlet depends on vegetables and shallots. Now that there is no place to sell them, people are facing many difficulties..."
That is also the common situation of nearly 600 vegetable growing households in the commune.Nghi Thuan. Large families grow a whole hectare of vegetables mixed with onions, small families grow 1-2 sao. The main vegetables are sweet cabbage, fat cabbage, stuffed cabbage, cucumber, and bitter melon. In a good year with good prices, each sao of mixed vegetables also brings in an income of 10-12 million VND/sao. However, this year, the vegetables have a good harvest, the weather is favorable, so there are few pests and diseases, but the output is blocked due to the outbreak of the epidemic, and localities are implementing isolation and social distancing, making it impossible to circulate.
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| In addition to vegetables, Nghi Thuan commune currently has nearly 20 hectares of bitter melon and cucumber with a yield of hundreds of tons, which are also facing difficulties in finding a market. Photo: Thanh Phuc |
“50 hectares of various vegetables, if harvested completely, will yield about 4,000 tons/batch (7-8 batches per crop). Along withshallots and vegetables are the main crops.of the locality. Nghi Thuan vegetables start to be planted in June, harvested from the 7th to 9th lunar month, at this time, the vegetable market is scarce due to drought. Therefore, it is very easy to consume. Previously, vegetables were supplied to Vinh wholesale market, exported to Ha Tinh, Hanoi... This year, the epidemic is complicated, 6 traders in the area who specialize in purchasing vegetables are related to the wholesale market, must be quarantined so there is no one to buy, nor transport to other places for consumption. Thousands of tons of vegetables are ready to be harvested but have to "lie in the fields", said Mr. Le Thanh Hai - Chairman of Nghi Thuan Commune People's Committee.
Double damage
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| About 1,000 tons of vegetables are stuck in the fields, affecting the care of the next crop and the care of shallots. Photo: Thanh Phuc |
Unlike other crops, if not harvested in time, vegetables will age and rot. If harvested and not sold in time, they cannot be preserved for long, so the accumulation of vegetables in the fields makes the people of Nghi Thuan commune feel like they are "sitting on fire".
The characteristic of sweet mustard greens is that they are cut and sold in batches, cut close to the base of one batch, fertilized, and then harvested after 7-10 days. Normally, each vegetable crop, lasting from the 7th lunar month to the 9th lunar month, harvests 8-10 batches. Therefore, when the vegetables are unsold and cannot be harvested in time, it will affect the next batches.
In addition, due to the nature of intercropping with shallots, leaving overripe vegetables in the fields will affect the growth of the onion plants. Ms. Nguyen Thi Sen - an agricultural official of Nghi Thuan commune said: "Currently, the onions have sprouted and come out of the ground, so they need light and enough nutrients. If the vegetables are overripe and not harvested in time, it will affect the growth of the onion plants. Therefore, if the vegetables are not "liberated", people will suffer losses in the next onion crop...".
In March 2021, people in Nghi Thuan commune suffered losses when the price of shallots hit rock bottom and they could not sell them. Now, during the vegetable season, they are in the same situation when mustard greens, cucumbers, and bitter melons are ready for harvest but there is no outlet, causing people to face many difficulties...
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| Unstable prices of squash have caused many difficulties for people in Nghi Thuan commune. Photo: Thanh Phuc |
Hopefully, the epidemic will soon be controlled, the people's market will reopen, the circulation of goods will be restored, and the output for Nghi Thuan vegetables in particular and agricultural products of the people in general will be resolved.
Currently, in the district, there are many agricultural products facing difficulties in output due to the epidemic: commercial chickens (about 500 tons of chickens are stagnant); ducks, geese; poultry eggs; lemons... But, the most pressing issue is that about 1,000 tons of vegetables in Nghi Thuan commune have no place to sell.
After surveying, understanding the situation, and making specific statistics, we have come up with solutions such as: Coordinating with organizations and unions to connect agricultural product consumption for people; Contacting collective kitchens and supplying vegetables and poultry eggs; Sending documents to the People's Committees of Vinh City and Cua Lo Town to create conditions for localities to connect consumption with businesses in the area...
However, in the current context, output for agricultural products in general and vegetables in particular is facing many difficulties.
