Viet Trung Farm Town is the "melon growing capital" of Bo Trach District (Quang Binh Province) with a planting area of over 240 hectares, gathering 140 participating households. These days, instead of the bustling atmosphere of the crop like every year, melon growers can only sighed. Many melon fields withered, their fruits were small, and their output decreased sharply.
In the melon field of Mr. Phan Tuan Anh's family (Quyet Tien residential group), melons are only growing sparsely, each fruit is less than 2kg, some trees have withered.
He said that his family invested 100 million VND in 1ha of watermelon but the yield this year was only about 6 tons/ha, down more than 70% compared to last year.
With the current selling price ranging from only 3,000 - 5,000 VND/kg, he estimated a loss of about 50 million VND, not including the couple's labor.
"melon flowers and is pollinated in the right time of cold weather, prolonged rain makes the plant susceptible to pests and diseases, making it difficult to produce fruit. The beans are stunted and not thriving, said Mr. Tuan Anh sadly.
Not only Viet Trung Farm, this situation also occurs in Ly Nam, Van Trach, Cu Nam, Tay Trach communes... According to Mr. Vo Minh Hoan - Chairman of the Farmers' Association of Ly Nam commune, the whole commune grows more than 90 hectares of melons, with an average yield of only 15 tons/ha, a sharp decrease compared to last year.
"The current selling price is only 3,000 - 4,000 VND/kg, so people will definitely suffer losses," Mr. Hoan shared.
According to the Department of Agriculture and Environment of Bo Trach district, this year's melon crop, the whole district planted more than 500 hectares. The harvested areas have an average yield of 10-15 tons/ha, 5-10 tons lower than the 2024 crop. In addition to unfavorable weather conditions, this year's watermelon is also on the market when the Southern melon is on the market, causing prices to decrease, output to be congested, and traders to buy in small drops.
Not only are melon growers in dire straits, but hundreds of seasonal workers have also lost their jobs. Cantaloupe fields are a place that creates jobs for hundreds of people throughout the crop - from making soil, removing seeds, fertilizing to harvesting. Now the price of melons has decreased, the harvest is slow, the demand for labor has decreased, causing unskilled laborers to be severely affected in terms of income.
The Farmers' Association of Viet Trung Farm Town said that the locality is coordinating with relevant agencies to find solutions to connect consumption and support output for watermelon. However, for now, the problem of losses is still a nightmare for many families.
