Unable to sell vegetables and fruits due to difficulties in output

Lemon costs only VND 500/kg but there are still no buyers. Having no other choice, gardeners had to wipe away their tears, spend money, and hire workers to discard them.

The soursops of the people of Tan Phu Dong district are ripe but no traders come for purchase. Photo: Minh Dam.

Discarding lemons in tears

In recent days, although the price of lemons is as cheap as free, many farmers in Tien Giang still could not sell them. Many gardeners had to wipe away their tears, spend money, and hire workers to discard them.

“No trader comes to buy lemons these days. Some traders came to buy but give out very low prices, only VND 1,000/kg. They said that it is difficult to go, seems almost impossible. Whatever they say, because I don’t know what to do anymore. The other day, the trader asked me to pick lemons for 1,000 VND/kg, but upon arriving at the garden, they started to be very picky. I picked 15 baskets (50kg/basket - PV) but only 4 baskets got accepted, paid 500 VND/kg", Mr. Tran Van Thuan, a farmer with 1 ha of lemons in My Chanh 4 hamlet, Hau My Bac A commune (Cai Be district, Tien Giang), said with a sigh.

According to Mr. Thuan, with the price of VND 500 - 1,000/kg of lemon, it will not be enough to hire workers to pick lemons and transport vehicles. And since there is a very large area of lemon in the locality, but there are few traders coming to buy and only making small purchases, Mr. Thuan had decided to hire workers to pick them to avoid weakening the trees.

According to Mr. Le Van Y, Vice Chairman of People's Committee of Cai Be district, Tien Giang province, at present, due to difficulties in traveling, plus the deadlocked output market, wholesale market traders do not come back to buy lemons. Some local traders buy small quantities for local consumption, at very cheap prices, from VND 1,500 to 2,000/kg. The people are severely suffering at this price.

Tens of thousands of tons of lemongrass and soursop “die standing up”

Not only lemon products in Cai Be district, but people in Tan Phu Dong island district (Tien Giang) are also storing thousands of tons of lemongrass and soursop fruit. These are two types of agricultural products that are particularly in the peak harvest season but the consumption market is facing many difficulties.

During this period, the price of lemongrass is only VND 3,000 to 4,000/kg. Soursop fruit, in particular, costs less than VND 10,000/kg. The price dropped a lot but also very few traders came to buy. Although the local government and mass organizations have actively searched for output, these two key agricultural products are still in a deadlock situation.

Mr. Nguyen Van Hai, Head of Agriculture and Rural Development Office of Tan Phu Dong district, Tien Giang province said: Lemongrass is now in the main harvest season, but only a small number of traders come to buy, only 2-3 ha per day. Traders only choose the most beautiful lemongrass, refuse the small ones. And soursop currently has no buyers, because traders have no consumption source.