Good season - low price

(Baonghean) - The agricultural development strategy with investment in plant and animal varieties suitable to climate and soil characteristics has been promoted by Ky Son district for many years. Accordingly, farmers in this mountainous district have produced a large volume of agricultural products. However, product output is a difficult problem for producers and managers...

Ky Son is a mountainous district with 80% of its area being hilly land, with quite harsh climate conditions, hot summers and cold winters, making it very difficult to plan production and select suitable crops. However, with the attention of the government and non-governmental organizations, in recent times, Ky Son has developed many crops of economic value. Every year, the district produces over 65 thousand tons of various agricultural products.

Depending on the characteristics of each sub-region, climate and soil, plant varieties have been selected and expanded on a large scale. Muong Long commune develops Tam Hoa plum trees, Na Ngoi commune mainly grows ginger and cassava, Huoi Tu commune grows Shan Tuyet tea, Huu Lap and Huu Kiem produce 2-crop corn... In Na Ngoi commune, if in the 2010-2011 crop year the whole commune planted 300 hectares of ginger, by the 2011-2012 crop year, the total ginger area increased to 700 hectares. With an income of 15-20 million VND/ha of ginger, the lives of many families here have changed.

Seeing the effectiveness of the ginger planting project, local households have made efforts to produce simultaneously on a medium and large scale. It is estimated that the total ginger output harvested in 2012 in Ky Son increased to 4,000 tons. However, something that people did not have time to calculate happened: the price of ginger suddenly dropped from 20,000 VND/kg to 4,000 VND/kg, which is only 1/5 compared to the previous crop. With the price down, many households have tried every way to increase the price of ginger in the hope of gaining greater profits, including hoarding goods and not harvesting.

"Good harvest - low price" - an obvious lesson in production, partly because people saw immediate profits and rushed into production, while the government and related departments did not closely direct and even supported people when they saw that people were growing a lot, without taking into account the inevitable consequences of the law of supply and demand, so in the end, the ones who suffered the most were ginger growers.

In fact, this story does not only happen with ginger plants in Na Ngoi commune but also with Tam Hoa plum plants in Muong Long and high-yield cassava in some communes in Ky Son district. Tam Hoa plum plants in Muong Long have been planted since 2005, with the support of the UNICEF Project. This is a variety of plant introduced to replace opium plants. Muong Long is an area with a climate very suitable for this type of plant, so it is highly effective.

When the project was first implemented, farmers were supported with seed sources, technical guidance, and a commitment to subsidize the price of products after harvest, so many households in the area responded with agreement. Up to now, the entire Muong Long commune has nearly 200 hectares of Tam Hoa plum, annually harvesting nearly 1,500 tons of fruit. In the early harvest season, traders come to the plum garden to buy at a price of 7,000 - 8,000 VND/kg. However, when the main season comes, the price of plums drops to 1,000 VND/kg. The price has dropped sharply and it is not easy to sell, many households can only watch the fruit fall and rot at the base of the tree.

Whenever a variety of plants is mass produced and planted by people, the price is forced down by traders. This is the inevitable consequence of unplanned production and lack of connection in the production and consumption of agricultural products. With reduced prices and ineffective production, people will no longer be interested in programs and projects, affecting the development of plants and animals. Mr. Ly Pa Cho - Secretary of the Party Committee of Muong Long Commune, Ky Son District said: The policy of eliminating opium poppy and planting Tam Hoa plum trees has been supported by the Party and the State for people. But from 2008 until now, there has been no more price support. We also do not know how to mobilize people...

However, also in Ky Son, some units, in addition to bringing in plants and animals, have done well in product output. The Military Region 4's Defense Economic Group located in Na Ngoi commune is an example. In 10 years of establishment, Group 4 has deployed many models in effectively converting crop structure to develop the economy, helping people in 4 border communes of Nam Can, Na Ngoi, Muong Ai, Muong Tip... to stabilize their lives.

In particular, developing cassava and building processing and product consumption houses is a highlight in the project on economic development, hunger eradication and poverty reduction for people in the mountainous district of Ky Son. In 2011, Group 4 mobilized people to expand the cassava growing area from 30 hectares to 80 hectares, purchasing and processing 185 tons of cassava for people. The price of cassava is almost stable at 3 - 4 thousand VND/kg.

Ky Son now has many branded products. However, in addition to bringing projects to the people, local authorities as well as departments and branches need to have policies to promote products, expand distribution channels, call for and link with consumption sources to produce and cultivate according to orders, contributing to improving economic efficiency for agricultural products. This will limit the price suppression and price suppression for producers, farmers will end the current situation of "good harvest, low price, good price, bad harvest"

Hong Thoa - Xuan Bi