In recent days, at many off-season rambutan gardens in An Binh and Phu Phung communes, the fruit has ripened red, but the joy of the gardeners is not complete.
Mr. Tam Thanh, a farmer growing more than 0.5ha of Java rambutan in Binh Hoa Phuoc commune, said that this off-season, his family invested more effort and costs than last year. According to Mr. Thanh, at the current harvest time, Java rambutan can only be sold for about 7,000 - 10,000 VND/kg, much lower than the expectations of gardeners. At this price, after deducting expenses, the profit is almost negligible.
If you calculate carefully, some gardens only have full capital, even losses if they encounter rain and wind, and more pests and diseases arise," he said.
Sharing the same worry, farmer Sau Hoa, who owns more than 1ha of rambutan in Phu Phung commune, said that her family is facing many difficulties.
In previous years, doing off-season farming was hard, but in return, the selling price was stable. This year, there are many, beautiful fruits, but traders buy sparingly, the price is low, so everyone is sad" - Ms. Hoa confided.
According to Ms. Hoa, the cost of hiring workers to pick fruit, wrap fruit, prune branches... all increased compared to before, while the selling price decreased by more than 1/3 compared to the same period.
Explaining the reason for the sharp drop in off-season rambutan prices, Mr. Van Hung - a trader specializing in purchasing fruit in Vinh Long province said that purchasing power in the market this year has decreased significantly. According to Mr. Hung, consumption demand in large markets such as Ho Chi Minh City and northern provinces is slower than in the same period.
Not only the domestic market, but export markets also tighten requirements on planting area codes, traceability of origin and pesticide residues. Goods are difficult to go, output is slow, while transportation costs are increasing, so traders are forced to balance purchasing prices. We also want to buy at high prices for people, but it is really very pressureful" - Mr. Hung shared.
Sharing the same view, Mr. Nguyen Ngoc Nhan - Chairman of the Board of Directors, Director of Binh Hoa Phuoc rambutan Cooperative - said that the low price of off-season rambutan is a consequence of many synergistic factors.
Farmers' production costs have increased, but selling prices have decreased sharply. Currently, Java rambutan is only about 7,000 - 10,000 VND/kg, down more than 1/3 compared to the same period last year. Thai rambutan is priced better, about 30,000 VND/kg, but the output is not much" - Mr. Nhan said.
According to Mr. Nhan, in the context of unstable consumption markets, if farmers continue to expand off-season areas spontaneously, there will be many risks. Linking production in chains, quality control and finding sustainable markets is an urgent requirement to reduce difficulties for rambutan growers.
