Dong Thap struggles to seek market for mango during Covid-19 pandemic

The Industry and Trade Department in the Mekong Delta Province of Dong Thap has been wrestling to seek market for agricultural products especially mango amid coronavirus outbreaks in the world.

Mango farmers face difficulties in seeking market (Photo: SGGP)

Director of the provincial Department of Industry and Trade Nguyen Huu Dung acknowledged mango prices in the whole region have dropped. This crop, farmers yielded 90,000 tons.

The department has connected with Big C supermarket chains to display mango; however, consumers’ purchasing power has been low. The agency is making a plan to help farmers consume their products after the pandemic including a festival of agricultural products in Hanoi and working session with the Domestic Market Department to increase trade promotion programs to boost consumption of the fruit.

Statistically, farmers countrywide yielded nearly 930,000 tons of mango in 85,000 hectares and the Dong Thap , the Mekong Delta’s largest mango producer, has 9,600 ha under mango, almost a fifth of the delta’s total mango in the region.

Mango traders at a market in Sa Dec Town said that last year farmers sold Hoa Loc mango variety at VND40,000 per kilogram at farms to earn profit but now they have no choice but sell at VND15,000 - VND20,000 per kilogram while Cat Chu variety is priced VND5,000- VND10,000 a kilogram.

Farmer Doan Thanh Hien in Cao Lanh District said that mango prices dropped at record low. He added that farmers can’t export mango but consumption at local market has increased.

Respectively, he sold five tons of mango to earn just VND20 million. He remembered this time last year, Hoa Loc mango variety was sold at VND60,000-VND80,000 a kilogram while it drops by more than half now.

Deputy Director of Kim Nhung Company Dinh Kim Nhung said that she accepted difficulties due to Covid-19. Presently, cost of shipping through border gates is higher but there has been no choice.

According to farmer Doan Thanh Hien’s experience, his family grow mango year-round; therefore, despite decrease in price, his family did not suffer loss.

Director of the Department of Industry and Trade in Can Tho City Nguyen Minh Toai said that mango is not essential goods plus oversupply, it was inevitable that price of mango was down. He thought the country should increase processing mango products for export instead of exporting fresh fruit like present.

Authorities in Mekong Delta provinces advised to build processing plants and slash income tariff and land tariff for enterprises making investment in the field.