Farmers anxious about Tet dragon fruit crop

Since the end of the ninth lunar month, many farmers in Ham Thuan Bac district have entered the peak season of lighting up dragon fruit for Tet. However, although the current price of dragon fruit is quite high, they are still worried and anxious.

Ms. Luong Thi Thanh Hien in Ham Duc commune has more than 600 dragon fruit pillars. This year, she used 300 pillars to light up the dragon fruit for Tet. She called early to harvest the remaining 300 pillars, which are ripe and ready to be sold for 15,000 VND/kg. Although the current price of dragon fruit is quite high, she still does not dare to put her trust in the Tet dragon fruit crop, because the price of dragon fruit is often unstable, increasing rapidly but also decreasing rapidly due to dependence on the Chinese market. "Currently, the price of off-season dragon fruit purchased by traders at the garden fluctuates from 13,000 - 17,000 VND/kg depending on quality and appearance. Seeing the high price makes me happy, but I am afraid that by Tet, when the dragon fruit is ripe, the harvest is concentrated, and the output is high, the price will decrease. If the price of dragon fruit for Tet is only about 10,000 VND/kg, the growers will not make a profit..." Ms. Hien shared.

Every year, in addition to the main crop that bears fruit naturally during the rainy season, farmers in Ham Thuan Bac district also proactively process dragon fruit to flower in the off-season. Of which, the Tet dragon fruit crop is the one that farmers focus on the most. However, there are years when the crop is good and the price is good; but there are also years when the crop is good and the price is low due to increased output, supply exceeding demand and reduced consumption in the Chinese market. This year, although the area of dragon fruit in the district has decreased sharply, there is still a lot in other areas. Farmers focus on processing dragon fruit that flowers out of season to sell during Tet, so the output is expected to increase, so most dragon fruit growers in the district do not dare to believe that the Tet dragon fruit crop will sell for a high price. Especially in recent years, the price of Tet dragon fruit has fluctuated erratically, sometimes decreasing sharply, causing growers to suffer losses.

According to Mr. Luong Minh Dat - Deputy Head of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of Ham Thuan Bac district, the total area of dragon fruit in the locality is about 5,800 hectares, a decrease of more than 3,530 hectares compared to before 2019. The whole district has 14 codes for dragon fruit growing areas in 14 communes and towns and 36 codes for dragon fruit packaging facilities exporting to the Chinese market. Some new models and new varieties have been implemented such as: The yellow-skinned dragon fruit growing model of Trung Binh Cooperative, in Ham Duc commune with an area of 100 hectares; the Ecuadorian bird's nest dragon fruit model in Liem Binh village, Hong Liem commune with an area of 3 hectares. In addition to applying new varieties in dragon fruit production, some cooperatives have also boldly invested in processing confectionery, wine, and soft drinks from dragon fruit and flowers to contribute to promoting the consumption of this fruit...

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