Ham Thuan Bac: Rice and straw prices fluctuate.

After a month of low rice prices, prices in Ham Thuan Bac have now started to rise, bringing joy to rice farmers. In addition, the price of straw, a byproduct of the harvest, has decreased slightly compared to before.

Drying rice. Photo: Ngoc Lan.

Rice prices are rising.

Current rice prices in Ham Thuan Bac district have changed significantly compared to last month. Specifically, last month's price was only 5,800 - 6,000 VND/kg, but now it has increased to 6,200 to 6,400 VND/kg, depending on the variety and color of the rice.

Ms. Tran Thi Bong (Ham Phu commune) shared: "This rice crop yielded quite good results, with a selling price of 6,200 VND/kg. The high yield and rising rice prices are favorable for rice farmers after months of hard work. However, my daughter's rice field was affected by stem borers due to insufficient care, resulting in a lower yield than expected. Additionally, those who sowed a little earlier harvested their rice earlier and had to sell it at a slightly lower price compared to those harvesting at the present time."

Similarly, the Vice Chairman of Thuan Hoa Commune People's Committee, Le Duc Duan, stated that the average price of rice currently sold is 6,300 VND/kg. Locals mainly cultivate OM18 and ML48 rice varieties, which are popular and provide stable yields in the area.

According to the People's Committee of Thuan Hoa commune, the area planted with rice in Thuan Hoa commune during the winter-spring crop season is 487.8 hectares, exceeding the plan by 420 hectares. As of now, farmers have harvested 205 hectares of the winter-spring rice crop out of the total planted area of ​​487.8 hectares, reaching a rate of 42%.

Transporting bales of straw for sale. Photo: Ngoc Lan

Straw prices have decreased slightly.

After harvesting rice, fields often produce a large amount of straw, a byproduct of the crop. Straw can be utilized to generate additional income for farmers besides selling the rice. It's used for various purposes, such as mulching dragon fruit plants and other crops, growing mushrooms, or as animal feed for livestock like buffalo and cattle. This not only helps reduce waste but also creates economic benefits for farmers.

Regarding prices, according to some farmers, the current price of baled straw ranges from 15,000 to 16,000 VND per bale, lower than the previous price of around 20,000 VND per bale. This price reduction may be due to several factors such as supply and demand or changes in usage needs. However, there have been times when the price of straw still exceeded 20,000 VND per bale. Although the price of baled straw has decreased compared to before, it still represents a significant source of income for farmers after the rice harvest.

Mr. Thong Thanh Lan (Ham Phu commune) said: The amount of straw bales harvested depends on the density of rice plants in the field; on average, each hectare yields about 200-250 bales of straw. With the current price of straw, each hectare can bring in more than 3.2-3.8 million VND from this income, helping to offset some production costs.

After harvesting, the straw is rolled into bales and quickly collected and transported to various locations for other uses. As a result, straw has become a widely purchased and used commodity.

Source: https://baobinhthuan.com.vn/ham-thuan-bac-gia-lua-rom-len-xuong-129276.html