Why has the price of passion fruit dropped in Nghe An?

(Baonghean.vn) - Despite significant investment, the current selling price of passion fruit is too low: 12,000 VND/kg for grade 1 and 4,000 VND/kg for grade 2, meaning passion fruit growers will not make a profit if the price drop continues.

Passion fruit growers in Tri Le, Que Phong district (Nghe An province) say that this year the factory is being too "strict" in purchasing passion fruit, while the percentage of fruit infected with fungus is very high.

Traders come directly to the orchards to select and buy the best-looking fruits at 13,000 VND/kg, so many farmers choose to harvest and sell them to traders. Photo: Quang An

Mr. Vi Van Cuong, a passion fruit grower in Yen Son village, Tri Le commune, said: "This year, a high percentage of passion fruit was infected with fungus, so very few fruits reached grade 1, only about 5%. This year, the passion fruit yield is about 20 tons/ha. If the factory buys at the current price (12,000 VND/kg for grade 1 and 4,000 VND/kg for grade 2), the growers will earn about 90 million VND/ha, which is not profitable compared to the investment."

Mr. Nguyen Ba Hien, Head of the Rural Development Board of Que Phong District - the permanent agency of the Que Phong Passion Fruit Planting Development Board, said: To plant 1 hectare of passion fruit, people invest 90-100 million VND including seeds, fertilizers, pesticides, trellises, etc., for two consecutive years of harvesting. However, to harvest in the second year, they have to invest an additional 50 million VND in fertilizers and pesticides. Therefore, if the average price of passion fruit remains at 9,000 VND/kg as in 2016, people will make a profit. At the current price of 4,000 VND/kg (grade 2), there is absolutely no profit.

Meanwhile, in Tuong Duong district, a locality developing passion fruit cultivation with high hopes for poverty alleviation, the situation is similar. Mr. Lo Kham Kha, Head of the Agriculture and Rural Development Department, said: Tuong Duong currently has 3 hectares of passion fruit ready for harvest. Currently, Nafoods Passion Fruit Joint Stock Company is purchasing from farmers at 4,000 VND (grade 2) and 12,000 VND (grade 1).

Meanwhile, the retail price of passion fruit in Kim Son town (Que Phong district) and some other localities in the province is 20,000 VND/kg.

Mr. Pham Duy Thai, Deputy Director of Nafoods Passion Fruit Joint Stock Company, the unit directly supplying seedlings, providing technical advice, and purchasing passion fruit products in Tri Le, said: Every year, when developing and expanding the raw material area as well as maintaining the area planted with passion fruit, the company cooperates with Que Phong district to organize training courses and field workshops for passion fruit farmers on technical procedures, cultivation, and pest and disease control.

However, farmers have not been adhering well to the technical requirements of the care and disease prevention and treatment procedures. Particularly since mid-2016, fungal diseases have appeared simultaneously on passion fruit plants in Tri Le.

Mr. Vi Van Son, from Yen Son village, Tri Le commune, is harvesting the fruit and pruning unnecessary branches and leaves to limit pests and diseases affecting his passion fruit plants. Photo: Xuan Hoang

The reason the company is being "strict" in purchasing passion fruit this year is because, from around mid-2016 until now, the practice of farmers selecting only the most beautiful fruits to sell to traders for fresh consumption in the market has become widespread.

In addition, some households still lack awareness; they pick up rotten and damaged fruit from their orchards to transport to the processing plant, affecting the quality of exported products. Therefore, starting this year, we will implement direct sorting to minimize risks to the quality of exported products.

To ensure a sufficient supply of seedlings for the factory's raw material area, Nafoods Passion Fruit Joint Stock Company propagates seedlings on-site every year. However, the company also needs solutions to stimulate demand from passion fruit growers so that both sides can develop together. With a selling price of 35,000 VND per seedling, farmers have to invest nearly 18 million VND in seedlings to plant 1 hectare of passion fruit. Photo: Xuan Hoang

To encourage ethnic minority communities in the disadvantaged Tri Le region to continue cultivating passion fruit, it is essential that local authorities, particularly Nafoods Passion Fruit Joint Stock Company, ensure a stable market for the product. Furthermore, farmers need to actively care for their passion fruit plants according to proper technical procedures, guaranteeing product quality as required.

X.Hoang - Quang An