PQ tangerines, a specialty of Nghe An province, are languishing unsold; even at 2000 VND/kg, no one is buying them.
(Baonghean.vn) - Hundreds of hectares of Phu Quoc tangerines in Nghia Dan district remain unsold despite very low prices, only 2000 VND/kg. Tangerine growers are worried because the trees have already flowered but the fruit is still on the trees.
| Clip: Xuan Hoang - Quang An |
The family of Mr. Hoang Thanh Hoai in Chong hamlet, Nghia Yen commune (Nghia Dan district) owns 1 hectare of land.PQ tangerinesThe tree was planted 7 years ago and is still laden with fruit.
Mr. Hoai said that this tangerine harvest was estimated to yield nearly 30 tons of fruit. He thought he could harvest most of it during the Lunar New Year, and the rest after the New Year. Unexpectedly, he only managed to sell about 2 tons during Tet, and after Tet, traders stopped buying, leaving the tangerines to rot at the bottom of the trees.
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| Mr. Hoang Thanh Hoai's tangerine orchard still has most of its fruit, but no traders have come to buy it. Photo: Xuan Hoang |
"In previous years, tangerines sold for at least 5,000 VND/kg, but they sold quickly; this year, even at only 2,000 VND/kg, no one is buying them. Excluding about 7 tons of fallen tangerines, there are still about 20 tons of fruit left in the orchard, and I don't know what to do. Meanwhile, the tangerine trees have sprouted new shoots and flowers, but the fruit can't be harvested, which will affect the quality of the next crop," worried Mr. Hoang Thanh Hoai.
It's not just Mr. Hoai's family, but all the tangerine growers in Nghia Yen commune and neighboring communes like Nghia Mai and Nghia Lam... are unable to sell their produce. Every tangerine orchard is laden with ripe, golden fruit, but no traders are coming to buy them.
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| This year, tangerine growers in Nghia Dan district suffered losses because they couldn't sell their produce. Photo: Quang An |
Mr. Hoang Van Phuc, Chairman of the Nghia Yen Commune People's Committee, said: The entire commune has 102 hectares of Phu Quoc tangerines, of which 93 hectares are already producing fruit. The most pressing issue is the inability to sell the tangerines, causing great anxiety among tangerine growers. The tangerines here are grown on red basalt soil, resulting in high yields of 20-30 tons of fruit per hectare. Due to slow sales, as of March 8th, only about 10% of the tangerine harvest had been sold, with the remaining 90% still on the trees.
"People grow a lot of tangerines because in the past..."market"With good consumption and stable prices, many farmers who used to grow sugarcane, acacia, and corn switched to growing Phu Quoc tangerines. This year, the tangerines are not selling well, possibly due to the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic and the disruption to trade," said Mr. Hoang Van Phuc.
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| Unable to sell, the tangerines were left to rot in the orchard. Photo: Xuan Hoang |
According to Mr. Lam Van Thang, Head of the Agriculture and Rural Development Department of Nghia Dan district, there are currently 400 hectares of mandarin oranges ready for harvest in the district, concentrated mainly in the communes of Nghia Yen, Nghia Mai, Nghia Tho, etc. Due to slow market demand, mandarin oranges are currently hanging on the trees and cannot be sold.
Mr. Thang believes that the tangerines are starting to bear fruit.harvestDuring the Lunar New Year season, only about one-third of the tangerine harvest has been sold so far, with thousands of tons still hanging on the trees. The district has yet to find a solution to rescue the tangerines for the farmers and is relying on market conditions.
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| Many mandarin trees have bloomed for the new season, however, a large quantity of the old crop remains unsold, requiring rescue efforts. Photo: Quang An |
According to local farmers, tangerines are easy to care for, require little investment, but yield a relatively high income. This year, the tangerines are not selling, meaning tangerine growers are suffering losses. But the greater concern is that the tangerine trees are about to sprout and flower, while the fruit is still on the trees, which will affect the yield and quality of tangerines in the next season.
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| Locals were forced to post on social media, hoping that philanthropists would come to the rescue of the tangerines for the farmers. Photo: Quang An |
Worried about their tangerine orchards, farmers in Nghe An are restless. Many young people have taken to social media to call for help, but the results haven't been very promising.
