Lam Dong: Hundreds of tons of tomatoes are being dumped due to lack of buyers.

In recent consecutive tomato harvests, people in Don Duong and Duc Trong districts (Lam Dong province) have faced difficulties as tomato prices have plummeted and become volatile, forcing many farmers to discard their tomatoes.

Currently, the purchase price of tomatoes at the farm is only about 500-1,000 VND/kg. This situation is causing anxiety and concern among tomato growers here.

According to wholesalers in Don Duong district, the reason for the low tomato prices is that for about a month now, major markets such as Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City have not been consuming tomatoes, while the tomato harvest season is in full swing. In addition, the very cheap prices of Chinese tomatoes sold in northern provinces have also caused the price of tomatoes from Lam Dong to drop sharply.

Currently, each warehouse only harvests a maximum of about 40-70 tons per day. Meanwhile, during periods when tomatoes fetched high prices, warehouses could export 150 to 200 tons per day.

Don Duong district currently has about 5,500 hectares of tomato cultivation, with a production of tens of thousands of tons. With an investment cost of 8,000 VND per tomato plant, a 1,000 m2 tomato farm is currently losing about 20 million VND. This situation is causing hardship for tomato growers here, trapped in the cycle of "bumper harvest, low prices."

According to rural economics