Thuong Quan Commune, Kinh Mon District, Hai Duong is one of the largest banana granaries in the province and the entire North. Due to the impact of storm No. 3, banana farmers in Thuong Quan Commune suffered crop losses, hundreds of millions of dong in damage, and had to give up trading for Tet.
According to Lao Dong's report on January 2, there are only 20 days left until Lunar New Year, but the banana gardens of farmers in Thuong Quan commune are desolate and devastated, abandoned by people after storm No. 3, no longer bustling with banana harvests like every year.
Ms. Bui Thi Men (Bai Mac village, Thuong Quan commune) said that before storm No. 3, her family's nearly 4,000 square meter banana garden was in full bloom. If things went smoothly like every year, about 10 to 15 days before Tet, she could harvest banana bunches, earning hundreds of millions of VND per crop.
“The storm was so strong that it destroyed all the banana plantations of my family and the people in the commune. We have been relying on one banana crop for Tet all year round, so this year we have to accept losing Tet,” said Ms. Men.
Ms. Nguyen Thi Xuan (Bai Mac village, Thuong Quan commune) confided that, like every year, this time is usually bustling with traders coming to place orders, not as quiet as now. If there were no storm, her family's more than 1,000 banana trees could bring in 400 - 500 million VND during Tet.
“Every year, the family only grows one banana crop for Tet, so it is too late to restore the garden. The only way is to accept skipping this year's Tet crop and focus on rebuilding the banana garden to sell next year. Currently, the family is relying on the cassava garden to earn some income, but we have to wait until after Tet to harvest,” said Ms. Xuan.
Speaking to Lao Dong on January 2, Mr. Bui Van Hao - Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Thuong Quan Commune, Kinh Mon Town - said that Thuong Quan Commune has about 60 hectares of bananas, with an output of about 100,000 tons per year. With an annual selling price at the garden from 350,000 - 650,000 VND/bunch.
Every year from the third lunar month, people start sowing seeds to harvest in time for Tet. Many families earn from 300 to 400 million VND/Tet crop from banana growing. Most families also grow cassava, which also brings in hundreds of millions of VND/year in the first crop. However, this year, people have lost everything due to storms and rains.
