Peanut crop in Nghe An province is bountiful and fetches good prices during the winter season.

Having just harvested one sao (approximately 1000 square meters) of peanuts, Mr. Cao Van Cong (Hamlet 1, Dien An, Dien Chau) is very excited about the bumper crop of winter peanuts and the high selling price. Mr. Cong said: “At the beginning of the season, the peanut crop was hit by heavy, prolonged rains and deeply submerged in water; then, when the peanuts were beginning to develop tubers, another flood struck, almost resulting in a total loss. However, thanks to good irrigation and diligent care, this winter peanut crop still achieved a good yield. Each sao yielded 1.2-1.3 quintals.”

This winter, the entire Dien An commune planted 25 hectares of peanuts, with an estimated yield of 26 quintals per hectare, totaling approximately 65 tons. Peanuts have long been a highly profitable crop for the people of Dien An, who typically cultivate two crops per year: winter and spring. Spring peanuts yield higher productivity and are planted on a larger area compared to winter peanuts.

However, the price of winter peanuts is higher than spring peanuts because people sell them as seeds. Ms. Nguyen Thi Ty (Hamlet 4, Dien An Commune) said: "If spring peanuts cost 30,000 VND/kg, winter peanuts cost 38,000 VND/kg. People mainly grow peanuts to produce seeds for the spring crop and sell them to households that need them."

In Dien Thinh, considered the "peanut hub" of Nghe An province, farmers planted 255 hectares of peanuts this winter. Currently, 90% of the area has been harvested. Despite unfavorable weather conditions with heavy rains and floods severely impacting the peanut plants, the yield remains quite good, estimated at around 1 quintal per sao (approximately 1000 square meters). Ms. Thu, from Hamlet 8, Dien Thinh commune, planted 4 sao of peanuts, yielding 4-5 quintals of dried peanuts. At current prices, she earned 15-16 million VND, and after deducting costs for seeds and fertilizers, she earned about 12 million VND.

“My family planted 4 sao (approximately 0.4 hectares) of winter peanuts, using the L20 variety. Compared to previous years, this year's peanut crop is bountiful, with an estimated yield of 1.1 quintals per sao. Compared to last year, this winter crop yielded about 15-20 kg more per sao. We mainly planted them for seeds for the next season and to supply seeds to other growing regions,” Ms. Thu said.

Anticipating erratic weather and heavy rainfall this year, the local authorities encouraged farmers to plant short-day peanut varieties that still guarantee good yields, such as L20 and L14, right from the start of the planting season. All peanut fields were covered with plastic sheeting after planting to ensure proper cultivation techniques; during periods of heavy rain and flooding, drainage was effectively managed to ensure the peanut plants' growth and guarantee a good final yield.

This year's winter peanut crop has yielded a good harvest, and prices are quite high. Currently, the price of peanut seeds ranges from 38,000 to 40,000 VND/kg. At this price, farmers have a stable income of about 4.5 million VND per sao (approximately 1000 square meters). "Because winter peanuts are mainly for seed production, the high selling price makes them easy to sell. This year, the peanut harvest is good and the prices are high, so the people are very happy," said Mr. Hoang Hai, Chairman of the Farmers' Association of Dien Thinh commune.

In the winter crop season of 2024, Dien Chau produced 1,000 hectares of peanuts. Winter peanuts are planted early and mainly in coastal sandy soil areas with varieties L14, L20, and red peanuts. Growing peanuts in the autumn-winter season is not difficult and does not require too much technical expertise; it only requires preventing rodent damage and having a proper care and fertilization regime.

This winter, farmers in Dien Chau supplied 1,700 tons of peanut seeds to the nationwide market. The high price of peanut seeds brought considerable income to the people of Dien Chau. Furthermore, having a reliable source of peanut seeds will help reduce the use of seeds purchased from unreliable sources, thus lowering input costs for the following spring crop.

Thanh Phuc