Nghe An chayote prices increase 10 times before Tet

Viet Hung• DNUM_BCZACZCACA 11:03

(Baonghean.vn) - From the price of 500 VND/kg during the Lunar New Year, the price of chayote grown in Quynh Lien commune (Hoang Mai town, Nghe An) has now increased to 5,000 - 6,000 VND/kg (10 times higher).

When the price of chayote began to increase, many families in Quynh Lien commune focused on taking care of the plants, fertilizing and watering them so that they could continue to grow and produce fruit. In the field in Hamlet 6, Nguyen Van Hung's family transported dozens of bags of fertilizer to the field to prepare for fertilization, helping the plants recover after the fruiting period during Tet.

Mr. Hung said: “The family grows 10 sao of chayote and harvests it in the 11th lunar month of the year. About a month before Tet, traders buy chayote for 500 VND/kg; at that time, harvesting 4-5 quintals/sao each day only earned 200,000 VND, but for about a week now, the family earns nearly 2 million VND/sao each day thanks to the purchase price being 10 times higher.”

Chayote in Quynh Lien commune (Hoang Mai town) is having a good price. Photo: Viet Hung

The entire Quynh Lien commune grows about 70 hectares of chayote, concentrated in the coastal areas of villages 4, 5 and 6. According to households, on average 1 hectare of chayote will yield about 100 tons of fruit. After Tet until now, chayote prices have "increased" from 1,000 VND, 2,000 VND... then 6,000 VND/kg. At this price, people are just starting to make a profit, making up for the investment and care costs during Tet.

“The harvest period of chayote is 5-6 months, with the current high price, farmers will have a high income in about 2-3 months. To continue harvesting, households are focusing on fertilizing, watering, and stripping leaves to help the plants grow strongly,” said Ms. Ho Thi Minh, a chayote grower.

According to the People's Committee of Quynh Lien Commune, previously, local chayote was mainly exported to the Chinese and Lao markets. During the outbreak of the Corona virus in China, chayote cannot be exported, however, this fruit variety is still consumed stably domestically because vegetables on the market are currently scarce, "demand exceeds supply".

Traders come to the place to buy chayote. Photo: Viet Hung

Mr. Ho Ngoc Tang - Chairman of the People's Committee of Quynh Lien Commune (Hoang Mai Town) said: "After Tet until now, the price of chayote has started to increase. If this price remains stable until the end of the season, on average, 1 sao will give people an income of more than 10 million VND.

According to a survey in the area, this is the time when chayote plants produce the most fruit, so the locality recommends that people take good care of the plants so that they produce a lot of fruit and bring high productivity. At the same time, they are looking for a market before China reopens its doors to local chayote plants.