Farmers in dire straits as ginger prices plummet

Since the beginning of the season, each kilogram of fresh ginger in Lang Son has only sold for 4,000 - 4,500 VND, while at the beginning of the year the price was up to 23,000 VND.

Mr. Nong Van Hung (Van Thuy commune, Chi Lang, Lang Son) planted 5 sao of ginger this year but the price was not good and there were pests and diseases so he suffered losses. He complained: "I invested 600 kg of seeds and fertilizers in it, but I only sold it for 4,000 VND per kg from the beginning of the season so I didn't make a profit. The traders only chose the big and beautiful tubers, next year I won't dare to plant it again."

According to Mr. Hung, last year the price of old ginger was at its highest at 23,000 VND per kg, and young ginger was about 10,000 VND. Before that, in 2014, when the price of ginger peaked at over 30,000 VND per kg, many people rushed to plant it.

Farmers complain that this year ginger prices are so low that they cannot afford seeds and fertilizer. Photo: Hong Van

Mr. Hoang Van Tuoi (Van Thuy commune, Chi Lang district) calculated that his family planted more than one sao of ginger, and expected to harvest about 300 kg. With the selling price of 4,000 VND per kg, this whole crop only earned nearly 1.5 million VND, which is considered as profit from labor.

Not only people in Chi Lang district, some other localities in Lang Son also fell into a difficult situation when the price of ginger dropped sharply. Previously, many people escaped poverty thanks to ginger, but now they have to accept the price. "Sometimes the price is only 3,000 VND per kg, I can only get a little to sell, the rest I just leave the ginger in the field to grow old", Mr. Loc Van Loi (Xuan Long commune, Cao Loc district) said sadly.

According to a ginger purchasing agent, the reason for the low price of this agricultural product is that this year ginger cannot be exported, so they have to wait for lowland companies to purchase it to press for essential oil.

“Every day the company orders 2 tons from me, but for several days now they have been full and haven’t received any more. If I don’t sell the ginger I bought from the locals soon, it will lose weight and rot, so I have to find another source in the lowlands, but the price hasn’t increased much,” said the ginger purchasing agent.

According to VNE