People lost about 15 billion VND due to Quang Tien pink grapefruit crop failure.

Like many other families, Mr. Nguyen Hong Cong's grapefruit crop failed in Trung Nghia Block, Quang Tien Ward, Thai Hoa Town, with only about 30% fruit set. Photo: Quang Huy

Previously, Thai Hoa had more than 100 hectares of grapefruit, of which more than 60 hectares yielded fruit. Due to good care, Quang Tien pink grapefruit yielded an average of 15 tons/hectare, sold at 25,000 VND/kg, grapefruit growers earned 375 million VND/hectare.

However, this year, according to grapefruit growers, due to unfavorable rainy weather at the time when grapefruit flowers and bears fruit, productivity has decreased sharply, and many households have lost their entire grapefruit gardens.

Mr. Ma Ngoc Phu - Director of Quang Tien pink grapefruit cooperative, said: In previous years, Quang Tien pink grapefruit achieved an average yield of 15 tons/ha, and Thai Hoa Town people earned over 22 billion VND. But this year, grapefruit yield decreased by about 2/3 compared to last year, estimated at only an average of 5 tons/ha. Thus, Quang Tien pink grapefruit growers lost 15 billion VND.

Mr. Tran Sy Thiep's grapefruit garden in hamlet 7B, Nghia Thuan commune is considered to have the most fruit in the region, but the yield has also decreased compared to previous years. Photo: Xuan Hoang

According to Mr. Phu, the reason for the poor grapefruit crop was that at the beginning of the year, when the grapefruit trees were flowering and fruiting, there was heavy rain, causing almost all the flowers to fall off.

From the full moon of the 7th lunar month, people began to harvest Quang Tien pink grapefruit, currently priced from 25,000 - 30,000 VND/kg.