A durian fruit farm in the Mekong Delta province of Vinh Long (Photo: Daily Travel Vietnam News Magazine) HCM City (VNS/VNA) - Many fruit farmers in the Mekong Delta havesuffered losses this year due to crop failure caused by drought and saltwaterintrusion and lower demand for fruits.
Nguyen Ngoc Nhan, a rambutan grower in Binh Hoa Phuoc commune in Vinh Long province’sLong Ho district, said his commune has never suffered from salinity intrusionin the past, but this year water in canals have 0.3-0.4 percent salt content.
Facing a freshwater shortage, farmers had to irrigate their orchards with waterfrom canals, which caused their rambutan trees to wither and shed their leaves,he said.
Nhan said during the last harvest, rambutan prices dropped by nearly 9,000 VND perkilogramme to 6,000 VND, causing farmers like him to suffer huge losses.
According to the commune People’s Committee, by early May salinity had affected478ha of orchards, including 28ha of durian, 379ha of rambutan and over 70ha oflongan.
Saltwater affected 95 percent of lands in the commune, causing estimated lossesof more than 11 billion VND (nearly 500,000 USD).
Farmers on Tan Quy island (in An Phu Tan commune of Tra Vinh province’s Cau Kedistrict) were also affected by drought and salinity.
The commune People’s Committee said around 250ha of orchards, mainly rambutan,were affected.
Nguyen Van Tri, a farmer on Tan Quy island, said: “This year I grew rambutantrees on 1ha. But its yield was poor because the orchard was irrigated withsaltwater which had intruded into rivers and canals in the area.”
According to figures from the Cho Lach District Division of Agriculture andRural Development, some 1,600ha of durian, rambutan and other fruits wereaffected by saltwater. Of this, 240ha was fully destroyed, 720ha suffered 50-70percent damage, 240ha suffered 30-50 percent damage, and 400ha lost up to 30percent.
Nguyen Van Tuan, a farmer in Tan Phu commune in Ben Tre province’s Chau Thanh district,said hundreds of 15-year-old durian trees in his orchards have withered.
Each used to produce some 120 fruits every year, and with the fruits selling at55,000-60,000 VND per kilogramme, he would earn over 20 million VND (over $900)per tree per year, he added.
Falling fruit prices, low demand
According to fruit buyers in HCM City, fruits such as longan, plum, rambutan,and durian are being sold now at 50 to 70 percent of last year’s prices.
Longan is sold at 20,000 VND per kilogramme, Hoa Loc mango at 25,000 VND andrambutan at 30,000-40,000 VND and Thai rambutan at 50,000 VND for threekilogrammes.
According to a manager at the Thu Duc Wholesale Market, though it is fruitharvest time, the volumes coming to his market were not large due to lowdemand.
He said only 1,400 tonnes are brought in daily, 400 tonnes less than a yearago. Around 320 tonnes of litchi come from northern provinces, only half oflast years’ figure, he said.
The fruit sells for just 25,000 VND this year, he added./.
Nguyen Ngoc Nhan, a rambutan grower in Binh Hoa Phuoc commune in Vinh Long province’sLong Ho district, said his commune has never suffered from salinity intrusionin the past, but this year water in canals have 0.3-0.4 percent salt content.
Facing a freshwater shortage, farmers had to irrigate their orchards with waterfrom canals, which caused their rambutan trees to wither and shed their leaves,he said.
Nhan said during the last harvest, rambutan prices dropped by nearly 9,000 VND perkilogramme to 6,000 VND, causing farmers like him to suffer huge losses.
According to the commune People’s Committee, by early May salinity had affected478ha of orchards, including 28ha of durian, 379ha of rambutan and over 70ha oflongan.
Saltwater affected 95 percent of lands in the commune, causing estimated lossesof more than 11 billion VND (nearly 500,000 USD).
Farmers on Tan Quy island (in An Phu Tan commune of Tra Vinh province’s Cau Kedistrict) were also affected by drought and salinity.
The commune People’s Committee said around 250ha of orchards, mainly rambutan,were affected.
Nguyen Van Tri, a farmer on Tan Quy island, said: “This year I grew rambutantrees on 1ha. But its yield was poor because the orchard was irrigated withsaltwater which had intruded into rivers and canals in the area.”
According to figures from the Cho Lach District Division of Agriculture andRural Development, some 1,600ha of durian, rambutan and other fruits wereaffected by saltwater. Of this, 240ha was fully destroyed, 720ha suffered 50-70percent damage, 240ha suffered 30-50 percent damage, and 400ha lost up to 30percent.
Nguyen Van Tuan, a farmer in Tan Phu commune in Ben Tre province’s Chau Thanh district,said hundreds of 15-year-old durian trees in his orchards have withered.
Each used to produce some 120 fruits every year, and with the fruits selling at55,000-60,000 VND per kilogramme, he would earn over 20 million VND (over $900)per tree per year, he added.
Falling fruit prices, low demand
According to fruit buyers in HCM City, fruits such as longan, plum, rambutan,and durian are being sold now at 50 to 70 percent of last year’s prices.
Longan is sold at 20,000 VND per kilogramme, Hoa Loc mango at 25,000 VND andrambutan at 30,000-40,000 VND and Thai rambutan at 50,000 VND for threekilogrammes.
According to a manager at the Thu Duc Wholesale Market, though it is fruitharvest time, the volumes coming to his market were not large due to lowdemand.
He said only 1,400 tonnes are brought in daily, 400 tonnes less than a yearago. Around 320 tonnes of litchi come from northern provinces, only half oflast years’ figure, he said.
The fruit sells for just 25,000 VND this year, he added./.
VNA
