Chinese agricultural traders like to buy young products.

Over the past six months, many Chinese traders have not hesitated to spend money to buy some young agricultural products from Vietnam at high prices.

1. Fruit tree leaves

After Tet, many traders in some provinces in the West bought soursop leaves (dried and fresh) in large quantities. The price of fresh leaves fluctuated from 5,000 to 15,000 VND per kilogram. Dried leaves cost 2-3 times more than fresh ones.

Facing the attractive price, many farmers in Hau Giang have plucked leaves to sell to traders. Many people said that the products were collected in Ho Chi Minh City and transported to China for medicine.

Also collecting leaves in bulk like Hau Giang, in Tien Giang, many farmers stripped the whole tree to collect leaves to sell. The price of fresh leaves here is 40,000 - 50,000 VND per kg. Many gardeners sold the leaves for millions of VND.

Mr. Le Van Doi - Deputy Director of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of Hau Giang province said that, in response to the above situation, the Department has recently intervened and issued a document recommending the district agricultural departments to strictly control and prevent the above situation. Up to now, the collection of young leaves has decreased.

According to him, collecting young leaves of fruit trees will reduce the life span and yield of the fruit. However, because of the desire for immediate profit, many farmers have previously allowed traders into the garden to break off both the tops and leaves.

Along with soursop leaves, Chinese traders previously also bought sweet potatoes, cassava shoots and corn silks from some provinces in the West. Initially, they bought them at high prices but then gradually reduced the prices and stopped buying, leaving farmers in a difficult situation.

2. Young oranges

Young oranges cost 700 - 1,000 VND per kilogram.

Not only are young leaves being purchased, but young oranges are also being collected in Hau Giang. In May this year, many traders searched everywhere to buy young oranges or dried orange slices to export to China. The price of the product fluctuates between 700 and 1,000 VND per kilogram. According to farmers here, they mainly sell trimmed fruits, so it does not affect the orange garden much. "Traders who collect this type of young fruit are quite easy-going. As long as they report that they have enough goods, they are willing to bring trucks to my warehouse to load and unload, without having to pay transportation costs," said the owner of an orange warehouse in Hau Giang.

Faced with the above situation, the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of Hau Giang has issued an official dispatch to prevent the purchase of young oranges in the area. Mr. Le Van Doi, Deputy Director of the Department of Agriculture of Hau Giang province, said that he has directed the agricultural technical teams of communes and towns to review the organization of purchasing in the area and impose penalties according to the level.

So far, the purchase of young oranges by traders has not caused much harm to farmers, because they only sell pruned orchard products for disposal. However, in the long term, Mr. Doi believes that orange growers need to be vigilant because the massive sale of young oranges will affect the supply and the market. On the other hand, if traders lower the price and suddenly stop purchasing, growers will fall into a loss situation. Currently, the purchase and sale of young oranges here has calmed down and has been stopped promptly.

3. Dragon fruit flower buds

In early May, in Cho Gao district, Tien Giang province, many dragon fruit bud purchasing facilities appeared. Many trading communes invested in building cold storage and drying ovens to process flower buds on site with a capacity of tons of buds per day to export to China to make tea.

Many farmers here said that traders collect at 2,000-3,000 VND per kg. With this price, growers think it is more profitable than selling the fruit without having to take care of it, so many households have responded.

Realizing that the above situation was unstable, the management agency of Cho Gao district propagated and popularized the harmful effects of cutting young flowers, so by mid-June the purchasing situation had calmed down. According to Mr. Huynh Hong Ung, Chairman of Cho Gao Dragon Fruit Cooperative, up to now, people have realized that there is something unusual in this purchasing, so they have raised their vigilance, they are no longer greedy for immediate profits but affect the production and longevity of the tree later.

4. Young areca nut

Near the end of August, although it was not yet the areca harvest season, hundreds of traders flocked to the mountainous districts of Quang Ngai, buying young areca nuts at prices three times higher than last year to sell to China.

Along the route from Son Ha district to Son Tay, many places have posted price lists for areca nuts, with prices ranging from 14,000 to 16,000 VND per kilogram. Ms. Dinh Thi Lanh (residing in Son Bua commune, Son Tay district) added that if last year's main crop, each kilogram could only sell for 5,000 VND at most, now traders buy young areca nuts at three times higher prices. Traders ride motorbikes to the villages and hamlets in the highlands of Quang Ngai to buy young areca nuts. They also have not been able to explain why China buys young areca nuts at unusually high prices compared to previous years.

Mr. Dinh Van Cuong, Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Son Mua Commune, also said that this year's areca price has increased dramatically, so most of the local people have picked all the young areca nuts and sold them to traders. If in previous years, the areca nuts were left to ripen on the tree, this year is the first time people have been able to sell young areca nuts at a high price.

According to VnExpress