Due to the impact of the outbreak of the Covid-19 epidemic, fruit trading activities in some provinces in the Mekong Delta region (Mekong Delta) showed signs of "freezing". A series of fruits in the harvest season fell in price, could not be sold, and gardeners fell into difficulties.
Many households growing dragon fruits in Tien Giang province seem to be "sitting on the fire" because the orchards are ripe and red, traders refuse to buy them, so they struggle to find output.
Dragon fruit has been harvested but there is no output
Mr. Ngo Hoai Cong, a dragon fruit farmer in Binh Ninh hamlet, Binh Phan commune, Cho Gao district (Tien Giang province) said that if he can't sell it next week, he will cut off the fruit to protect the garden.
“When the new tree had buds, the trader came in and asked, now calling to say that the warehouse is closed, so I can't buy it. My dragon fruit is ripe, maybe 3-4 days to cut, there are still many in this neighborhood. If the trader does not buy in a week, they will cut it, the loss will be empty," said Mr. Cong sadly.
Red flesh dragon fruit last week cost nearly 10,000 VND / kg, now reduced to 2,000 VND / kg, but buyers are also rare. At this price, farmers suffer heavy losses.
The cause of this situation is due to the outbreak of the Covid-19 epidemic, many businesses and establishments specializing in purchasing dragon fruits have temporarily closed their doors, so it is difficult to invest in this fruit.
Nguyen Van Tu Em, owner of a dragon fruit collection facility in Quan Long commune, Cho Gao district, said that the dragon fruit warehouse has been closed for 10 days for fear of spreading the Covid-19 disease. Even his family's dragon fruit garden is stuck.
Mr. Tu Em shared, there are 10 people, then all 7, and only 3 people buy. He was afraid of contracting the disease, so he did not dare to buy it, because now there are many infected cases in the dragon fruit warehouses. On the other hand, the transport vehicle also encountered difficulties and hardships, and the driver did not dare to go anymore. Growers now cannot sell at a loss. The price of red and white dragon fruit is now very low, only 2-3 thousand VND/kg. The number of buyers is too small, so the consumption is not all, and the goods are stuck.
In Tan Phu Dong island, in Tien Giang province, there are only 2 types of agricultural products, lemongrass and soursop, which are in the harvest season but the market is very difficult. Thousands of tons of this agricultural product need to be rescued.
Soursop has come to the harvest season but there are no traders asking to buy it
According to statistics from the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of Tan Phu Dong district, there are about 650ha of lemongrass trees in the whole district which are in the harvest season with an output of nearly 10,000 tons and 100ha of Siamese bamboo shoots are also ripe.
At this time, the price of lemongrass is from 3,000 to 4,000 VND/kg; Soursop price is less than 10,000 VND. Compared to before, the price of these two agricultural products decreased a lot, but very few traders came to buy.
Mr. Nguyen Van Hai, Head of Agriculture and Rural Development Department of Tan Phu Dong district, Tien Giang province said, “We have put it online, trying to introduce these two agricultural products to help people consume but the output is very difficult. I think because the places have implemented social distancing, the sales are slow, so traders limit their purchases. As for custard apple, when it is ripe, it will rot if it cannot be consumed.
And Mr. Nguyen Van Ro in My Trinh A hamlet, Hau My Trinh commune, Cai Be district, Tien Giang province as well as many other gardeners in this locality are sad because the lemon garden is ripe but no traders come to buy it.
Afraid of thinking about the tree, the lemon picker throws it away
Looking at the ripe yellow fruit garden, falling to the ground. Mr. Nguyen Van Ro lamented: "Now that the fruit is very ripe, it's time to harvest without traders or buyers. If you don't pick the fruit, it will fall, but that will damage the tree. Currently not for sale, I have no relationship.
Now the main people like this are very difficult to harvest. At this price there is no capital to reinvest. Currently, we mainly want to solve the lemonade to compensate for the work, transport it to people, that's all, but no longer calculate the hole because it's all over."
Negligence also appeared in My Duc Dong commune, Cai Be district, Mr. Phung Thanh Viet, Chairman of the Commune People's Committee, said that now, gardeners only sell a few to charity workers for 1,000 VND/kg. Now the market price is very cheap, I also operate concentration houses, charity units to buy for in Ho Chi Minh City. Ho Chi Minh bought for relatives.
Tien Giang province has a model of commercial passion fruit cultivation, concentrated in Cai Be, Cai Lay and Cai Lay towns. The gardener has a lot of purple cotton plants, very high yield and quality. Cai Be district alone has more than 1,000 ha of horticultural gardens, planted in many communes of Tan Thanh, Thien Tri, Hoa Khanh, Dong Hoa Hiep, My Duc Tay, My Duc Dong, An Cu, Hau My Trinh, Hau My Phu .
Through the research of the reporter of the Journalist & Public opinion, not only in Tien Giang has difficulties in fruit consumption and agriculture, but in many provinces in the Mekong Delta region, there are signs of backing down from When the Covid-19 epidemic broke out, the government system applied social distancing in the spirit of Directive 16. Many traders outside the province had difficulties in bringing vehicles to the raw material area.
Source: Truong - Son - Journalists and Public Opinion
