Nghe An: Many agricultural products have fallen in price and are difficult to sell.

THOUSANDS OF TONS OF MELONS ARE LAYING IN THE FIELDS WAITING FOR BUYERS

Currently, Nghia Dan watermelon is in harvest season, with an estimated output of about 7,000 tons. Photo: Thanh Phuc

Although it is harvest season, this year, the 2 hectares of melons of Mr. Nguyen Van Khue's family in Phu Tien hamlet (Nghia Phu commune, Nghia Dan district) still do not know who to sell to. If in previous years, when the melons were just big, traders from the North would come to deposit money, fix the price, the 2 hectares of melons when they were harvested would just be weighed and paid. Like last year, the melons had a good harvest and good prices, after deducting expenses, his family still earned more than 200 million VND from 2 hectares of melons.

But this year, the melons are ripe and have reached the right sugar level, but no one is asking to buy them. He had to ask his nephew to post on social networks and on fellow countrymen’s pages in the districts to sell the melons. However, “2 hectares yield 45 tons of melons, and selling them online is not profitable. I don’t know when they will be sold out. The weather is not favorable, if it rains, it will be considered a loss,” said Mr. Khue.

This year, Nghia Dan watermelons have a good harvest, with large, red fruits and high sugar content, but there is no market for them. According to local people, the reason for the unsold watermelons is that for a long time, Nghia Dan watermelons were mainly consumed in the northern provinces. Now that the pandemic has broken out, many places have to practice social distancing, so consumption is low. Photo: Thanh Phuc

For more than 10 years, Mr. Tai Hoa and his wife (Lien Son hamlet, Nghia Son commune, Nghia Dan district) have traveled to Nhu Xuan (Thanh Hoa) to rent land to grow melons, but never before has the couple Tai Hoa (Lien Son hamlet, Nghia Son commune, Nghia Dan district) suffered a "bitter melon season" like this year. 1.2 hectares of melons, costing hundreds of millions of dong, but now, when the melons are ripe, they "open a farm" to sell, the price is cheap but there are still no buyers.

This watermelon crop, Nghia Dan farmers planted more than 350 hectares, with an estimated output of up to 7,000 tons of melons. Currently, melons are entering the peak harvest season, but due to the outbreak of Covid-19 in the country, the output for this fruit, known as the "king of summer fruits", has dropped dramatically. If last year, the price of melons in the field was 7,000 - 8,000 VND/kg, this year it has dropped to 3,000 - 4,5000 VND/kg. Although the price has "hit rock bottom", consumption is facing many difficulties, with no buyers, people are forced to sell by the kilogram. Thousands of tons of melons of Nghia Dan people are lying in the fields waiting for buyers.

This fruit, dubbed the "king of summer", is facing double difficulties: low prices and no market. Photo: Thanh Phuc

Mr. Tran Dinh Dung, who connects people to sell melons on social media, said: “The melons are beautiful, have high sugar content, and are cheap, but I don’t know who to sell them to, so I connected people to sell them on social media, but it didn’t work. Nghia Dan melons have always been consumed in the northern provinces. This year, the epidemic has broken out strongly, and the northern provinces are implementing social distancing, so traders have stopped buying, leading to unsold melons.”

VEGETABLES ARE CHEAP AS FREE

Prices of vegetables and tubers such as bitter melon, squash, cucumber, squash... have also dropped dramatically. Photo: Thanh Phuc

As a vegetable growing area, the income of people in Nam Anh (Nam Dan) mainly depends on squash, squash, cucumber, eggplant, etc., but this year, these vegetables are cheap and difficult to sell, so people are "sitting on hot coals".

The whole commune has more than 150 hectares of squash, bitter melon, sweet melon, and green eggplant; the estimated output is up to several hundred tons. It is the peak harvest season for vegetables and tubers, but the prices are too cheap. If last year, bitter melon was sold for 12,000 VND/kg, now it is only 2,000 VND/kg; sweet melon is 4,000 - 6,000 VND/kg (half the price compared to last year), especially green squash, the price "hit rock bottom" at only 2,000 VND/kg (down to 1/5 compared to previous years).

Mr. Truong Van Huong (Hamlet 7, Nam Anh Commune) said: “My family has 2 sao of bitter melon. Like last year, with the price of 12,000 VND/kg, traders bought at the field, the family earned 15 million VND/sao in profit. This year, the price of bitter melon has dropped dramatically, only 2,000 VND/kg, the income is not enough to cover expenses.”

50 hectares of squash, squash, and cucumbers of Nam Xuan (Nam Dan) people are also in harvest season, but the selling price is too low and it is difficult to sell, so people are facing many difficulties. "These are vegetables and tubers that are considered "cooling", favored by consumers during the hot season, so they are very expensive. This year, the price has dropped dramatically and it is difficult to sell. Currently, people have harvested 2/3 of the area, and in the past few days, there have been storms and whirlwinds, so people have suffered a lot of damage", said Mr. Vo Van Danh - Vice Chairman of Nam Xuan Commune People's Committee.

Quynh Luu vegetables are mainly sold to the northern provinces and Da Nang. The outbreak of the disease has caused prices of vegetables to drop sharply and consumption output to decrease by about 40% compared to before. Photo: Thanh Phuc

In the vegetable growing areas of Quynh Minh, Quynh Luong (Quynh Luu), prices of vegetables such as tomatoes, bitter melon, green onions, squash, etc. are falling sharply, making output difficult.

“Currently, the prices of all vegetables have halved compared to before, especially bitter melon and squash, which have dropped by 80% compared to last year (only 1,700 - 2,000 VND/kg). Quynh Minh vegetables are mainly consumed in Hanoi and Da Nang, but now that the epidemic has broken out in these localities, the amount of goods sold has dropped sharply, only about 40% compared to before.”

Mr. Ho Mau Tuan - Director of Quynh Minh Agricultural Salt Cooperative

According to people, the impact of the Covid-19 epidemic is the reason why the prices of many agricultural products have dropped and purchasing power has decreased. Especially in the domestic market, when many localities have to implement social distancing, people limit going to markets and supermarkets to buy goods, restaurants, hotels, tourist areas, festivals, weddings... are all delayed, so the consumption of these products has decreased sharply.

Therefore, to adapt to the current situation, producers, cooperatives, and localities must proactively find ways to connect consumption through many different channels, change sales methods, and need guidance and cooperation from all levels and sectors.

In response to the Covid-19 epidemic, the Department of Industry and Trade of Nghe An has issued a document directing and guiding localities, businesses, and supermarkets in the area to implement many contents. These include receiving, reporting, handling, and removing difficulties in purchasing and consuming agricultural, forestry, and fishery products of cooperatives, businesses, and production households; organizing activities to connect with the system of processing and distribution facilities in the area.