Hot peppers are even more bitter because of Chinese traders

Binh Dinh farmers are suffering heavy losses while the Ministry of Industry and Trade affirms that agricultural products exported to China are still very good.

According to Dan Tri newspaper, in Binh Dinh, although it is the mass chili harvest season, the price of chili has dropped sharply compared to the beginning of the season. Chili growers said that about 2 months ago, the price of large chili was 45,000 - 50,000 VND/kg, small chili was 30,000 - 32,000 VND/kg.

The reason is that Chinese traders stopped buying, causing the price of chili peppers to fall to an unprecedented level. Therefore, even though the chili peppers are ripening in the fields, farmers do not bother to harvest them because they have no market and it costs money to hire workers to pick them.

Farmer Nguyen Van Thai in My Quang commune (Phu My district) said that his family has invested in growing nearly 2 sao of chili peppers, which should be ready for harvest in about 100 days, but due to the prolonged cold this year, the chili peppers were harvested half a month late. At the beginning of the season, Mr. Thai's family harvested the first crop and the chili peppers were sold for 32,000 VND/kg.

“Who would have thought that the price of chili would suddenly drop to only 2,500 VND/kg and traders would stop buying. While harvesting, we have to pay for labor and selling is not sure to get back the capital,” Mr. Thai complained.

Chinese traders stopped buying chili, chili growers were in trouble.

Mr. Phan Si Hung, Deputy Head of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of Phu Cat district, said: "Investing in growing 1 sao of chili costs about 3 million VND. This year, the weather is favorable, so 1 sao of chili yields about 1 ton. Compared to the beginning of the season, the price of chili peaked at 45,000 VND/kg, the yield is higher than growing rice. However, the price has continuously dropped since then, now it is only about 2,500 VND/kg, so farmers lose money and work for nothing."

Meanwhile, on the sidelines of the 2014 Trade Promotion Forum held on April 17, Ms. Pham Thi Hong Thanh, - Director General, Deputy Director General of the Asia - Pacific Department (Ministry of Industry and Trade) said that Vietnam signed a memorandum of understanding with China at the end of 2013 on agricultural exports, and the sale of agricultural products to China has since stabilized and developed more.

According to Ms. Thanh, the Trade Promotion Department has coordinated with the Departments to find outlets for agricultural markets. Recently, there have been some agricultural products brought to China, which may have been perceived as having difficulties in exporting Vietnamese goods to China, but in reality, Vietnamese agricultural products to China are still very good./.

According to VOV