Currently, PQ tangerine growers in Minh Hop commune (Quy Hop district, Nghe An) are entering the harvest season. However, farmers face mass tangerine drops, while selling prices have decreased sharply compared to previous years.
According to Ms. Cao Thi Van (Hamlet 8, Minh Hop Commune), at the beginning of the season, tangerines were producing a lot of fruit, but when the harvest season approached, the fruit began to fall.This situation is getting worse, causing tangerine growers to worry.
"The current price of tangerines is only 2,500 - 3,000 VND/kg, but traders buy very sparingly," Ms. Van shared.
Mrs. Cao Thi Dung's family (also in hamlet 8) grows 500 tangerines, but the estimated output is only about 3 - 4 tons, down 1/10 compared to the expected at the beginning of the crop. The main reason is unfavorable weather and prolonged rain causing many fruits to fall.
For this tangerine crop, Ms. Dung's family invested nearly 30 million VND in fertilizers and pesticides. According to Ms. Dung, this year's output has decreased, prices have decreased, if not counting care and harvesting, luckily the tangerine growers will break even.
Not only farmers are having difficulties, but traders are also having difficulties in consumption. It is known that at the same time in previous years, traders purchased 6 - 7 tons of tangerines/day, the peak could be over 10 tons. However, this year, the purchased quantity has decreased to 4 - 5 tons/day, but consumption is still very difficult.
Imports to the unit market face many obstacles, traders have to switch to retail along the routes, but consumption is still not positive.
Currently, the area of PQ tangerine cultivation in Minh Hop commune has decreased sharply due to unstable prices. According to the leader of Minh Hop commune, in previous years, the whole commune had nearly 300 hectares of PQ tangerines, but now there are only nearly 150 hectares, a reduction of half.
"This year, tangerines have a yield of 20 - 25 tons/ha. However, the market still depends mainly on traders. Since the beginning of the crop, the amount of tangerines purchased has been very small, leading to many backlogs," said the leader of Minh Hop commune.
Faced with the sharp decline in prices of Japanese tangerines, many traders in Vinh City have planned to buy tangerines at prices higher than the market to support farmers.
Ms. Vo Hong Van (39 years old, residing in Ha Huy Tap ward, Vinh city) said that she has planned to buy about 8 tons of PQ tangerines from a gardener in Quy Hop.
"I will buy it at about 6,000 VND/kg right in the garden and transport it to Vinh for consumption. My goal is to help people, not make a profit. After that, I will call on friends, relatives and other traders to Quy Hop to buy tangerines to support farmers," Ms. Van shared.
Mr. Nguyen Dinh Tung - Chairman of Quy Hop District People's Committee said that PQ tangerines are currently falling sharply in price, causing many difficulties for tangerine growers.
"The fact that traders buy tangerines to help people is a beautiful and appreciated gesture. Hopefully this gesture will be widely spread, with many traders, people, agencies, and organizations joining hands to buy tangerines to support farmers," said Mr. Tung.
