Nghe An: Bustling cassava harvest season

Quang An - Tien Dong• DNUM_BFZBCZCACB 15:43

(Baonghean.vn) - The price of cassava purchased at the field is up to 2 million VND/ton, considered the highest price in many years, helping Nghe An people have more income.

At this time, people in the border area of Que Phong are focusing on harvesting raw cassava. According to statistics, the whole Que Phong district has 1,200 hectares of cassava, grown mainly in the communes of Chau Kim, Nam Nhoong, Chau Thon... Cassava is mainly grown on steep hillsides, so harvesting is also difficult. Photo: Tien Dong

To save on labor costs, people in the highlands often gather to help each other harvest cassava, rotating from house to house. Photo: Quang An

Mr. Cut Van Thanh's family in Huoi Cam village, Nam Nhoong commune has 3 sao of cassava, expected to produce about 4 tons of cassava this year, with the current price of 2 million VND/ton (2,000 VND/kg), will bring in about 8 million VND. This is not a small source of income, especially at a time when the people's economy is heavily affected by the epidemic. Photo: Tien Dong

After harvesting, cassava is gathered and packed into bags to be delivered to traders right on the roadside. Ms. Moong Thi Hong Ha, a cassava trader in Que Phong district, said: "On peak days, we purchase about 40 tons of raw cassava to import to the cassava starch processing factory. Compared to last year, the price of cassava this year has increased by about 500,000 VND/ton." Photo: Quang An

According to statistics from the provincial Department of Crop Production and Plant Protection, the cassava area in Nghe An in 2020 was more than 13,000 hectares, with a yield of over 23 tons/ha, of which the industrial cassava area was 10,232 hectares, with a yield of 27 tons/ha. Districts with large cassava areas include: Thanh Chuong, Anh Son, Con Cuong, Que Phong... Photo: Tien Dong

Currently, the cassava varieties commonly grown in the province include: KM94, KM140, KM60, TC11 (Két mang con), HL-S11 and local varieties. Of these, the KM 94 variety is commonly grown, accounting for more than 80% of the cassava area in the area. It is the variety with the highest starch content and is resistant to pests and diseases, especially cassava mosaic disease. Photo: Quang An

However, cassava production in the province still faces many difficulties such as: Cassava production in many places is still spontaneous, not according to planning, intensive investment production is limited, based on traditional experience, lack of connection and cooperation between enterprises and farmers leading to low productivity, easily causing rapid soil erosion and leaching. Pests and diseases arise and cause a lot of damage, especially cassava mosaic disease, cassava pink mealybugs... Photo: Quang An