Farmers in Quynh Luu have a bad winter peanut crop.

(Baonghean.vn) - This year, due to unfavorable weather, the winter peanut crop in Quynh Luu district has reduced productivity, with farmers losing an average of about 2 million VND per sao of peanuts.

At this time, many households in Quynh Bang commune are entering the winter peanut harvest season. This year, unfavorable weather has caused peanut plants to be affected by pests and diseases, stunting them, reducing productivity and output.

Farmers in Quynh Luu harvest winter peanuts. Photo: Viet Hung

Ms. Nguyen Thi Huong's family in Tan Xuan hamlet, Quynh Bang commune grows 2 sao of peanuts. She estimates that after harvesting, they will get about 300 kg of fresh peanuts. After deducting production costs, the profit is not worth much.

"Growing 2 sao of peanuts this winter season gives the same yield as 1 sao of last year. After 4 months of care, after deducting expenses, the profit is only about 1.5 million VND/sao" - Ms. Huong said.

In the 2017 winter crop, Quynh Bang commune restructured 23 hectares of peanuts, concentrated in Tan Xuan and Chi Thanh hamlets... According to local people, the entire peanut area is now entering the harvest stage, because this year's rainy weather damaged the roots, the peanuts developed poorly, the yield reached 1.5 - 1.7 quintals of fresh peanuts/sao, half of last winter crop.

Due to the rainy weather, peanuts developed poorly, so the tubers produced few, yielding only 150 kg of fresh peanuts/sao. Photo: Viet Hung

Peanut crop failed, purchase price increased from 14,000 VND/kg to 17,000 VND/kg; with the current high purchase price, on average, people earn 2.5 million VND per sao, not including expenses.

Mr. Vu Van Duong - Vice Chairman of Quynh Bang Commune People's Committee said that peanuts are a crop that the locality has structured to grow in the summer and winter seasons. This year, due to unfavorable weather, peanut yields have decreased. In the coming time, the locality will evaluate the production results, and ineffective peanut growing areas will be converted to growing vegetables to increase income for the people.

Mr. Nguyen Van Ngoc in Quynh Bang commune said that currently, 1 sao of fresh peanuts sold only makes a profit of 1.5 million VND after 4 months of care. Photo: Viet Hung

In 2017, Quynh Luu had about 50 hectares of winter peanuts planted in the communes of Quynh Bang, Quynh Nghia, Quynh Dien..., the peanut yield reached 6-7 tons of fresh peanuts/ha; with 50 hectares of winter peanuts, the output reached 350 tons. However, according to the assessment from the district's Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, this year's winter peanut output decreased by half of last year, only about 150 - 170 tons; thus, for each sao of peanuts, people lost about 2 million VND.

Viet Hung