The banana planting project in Yen Thanh is gradually fading away.

(Baonghean.vn) - After more than 6 years of operation, with only over 1.4 tons of bananas guaranteed for export, Globe Farm Korea Co., Ltd. is facing difficulties.

The banana plantation looks quite barren.The grass grew profusely.

The banana export project was granted an investment certificate by the People's Committee of Nghe An province, with a capital of 3 million USD and a scale of 10,000 tons per year. The total area for banana cultivation is 200 hectares, mainly leased agricultural land allocated to households and individuals under Decree 64/ND-CP, with a lease term of 20 years. To facilitate the investor, Yen Thanh district and the Vien Thanh commune government have intensified propaganda and mobilization efforts to encourage nearly 750 households in 7 hamlets to hand over land and premises to the investor for convenient and rapid project implementation.

Ms. Dang Thi Tu, from Hamlet 9, Vien Thanh Commune, said: "When the banana processing plant came, the villagers were very excited because they had an additional source of income from renting out land, and they applied to work as laborers, which provided them with extra income. In the first few years, the factory was doing well, and salaries and bonuses were paid in full. However, in the last few years, the factory has not been doing well, and there have been no wages, so I stopped working five months ago. Even the land rent, which my family rented out, has not been paid by the company since 2015."

The factory is abandoned.

Visiting a banana plantation for export in Dong Son commune, Vien Thanh district, one sees a vast area planted with bananas. However, the landscape appears neglected, with stunted banana trees, overgrown weeds, and many withered leaves. The factory is deserted, with locals tending their cattle inside.

The nursery garden, which specialized in growing seedlings, only had a few banana saplings left, but they had all died from the fire and withered away.

Only an accountant, a foreign expert, and a security guard were present at the company, taking advantage of the time to visit the fields. Ms. Dang Thi Thanh, the accountant of Globe Farm Korea Co., Ltd., stated that the company's current situation is due to many reasons, but the main one is that the 200-hectare area was insufficient for the project, so the investment partner did not fully commit their capital. In addition, changing weather and climate conditions have resulted in bananas not meeting export quality standards, pushing the company into difficulties and forcing a reduction in acreage and workforce.

Since its inception, the company has only exported over 1.4 tons to South Korea in 2013, generating over 1 billion VND in revenue. For the rest of the year, it has only sold its produce sporadically and retailed it to the local market. Currently, the company has reduced its cultivated area to 44 hectares, returning 8 hectares to the local people.

The export banana project of Globe Farm Co., Ltd. of South Korea is facing the risk of bankruptcy. Mr. Nguyen Huu Nhan, Chairman of the People's Committee of Vien Thanh commune, said: "To date, Globe Farm Co., Ltd. of South Korea owes land rent to the people for the years 2015 and 2016. The People's Committee of the commune has sent many official letters requesting the company and the district to intervene."

PV