Oranges cost a few thousand dong per kilo but still unsold

The price of pomelos in Dong Nai and Western gardens has dropped sharply, to 2,000-4,000 VND per kilogram, down 50% compared to the bottom in June, but traders still do not want to buy.

Ms. Oanh, a gardener in Dong Nai, said that this year her garden harvested 3 tons of oranges but not many traders came to buy. There were many ripe oranges so she had to "sell them off" for only 2,000-3,000 VND per kg. After deducting expenses, her family lost several million VND, not including the cost of care.

Similarly, Mr. Thanh's family in Vinh Long also said that the current low price is not enough to cover the cost of fertilizer and labor. "Next season, my family will lack capital to manage," he said.

Vinh Long oranges are sold for 35,000 VND for 5 kg, or 7,000 VND per kg. Photo: Huong Nguyen

Surveys at traditional markets in Ho Chi Minh City and online stores show that the selling price of oranges is at a record low. At the market, the retail price is 8,000 VND, if customers buy 5 kg, it is only 35,000 VND, or about 7,000 VND per kg.

Despite the low prices, purchasing power in the market is still very weak. Ms. Loan - owner of a fruit shop on Pham Van Chieu Street (Go Vap) - said that the amount of oranges sold has decreased by 30% compared to before because consumers have many other better options.

"For the past three days, I have only sold a few dozen kilos of oranges, so I am temporarily stopping and replacing them with tangerines and Vinh oranges, which are more popular with customers," Loan shared.

Vinh Long oranges are piled up on the sidewalk of Quang Trung Street (Go Vap) and sold for 6,000 VND per kilogram. Photo: Thi Ha

According to Ms. Nguyen Huong, an orange purchasing facility in Vinh Long, this year, the price of oranges has dropped sharply twice. In June, gardeners could still sell them for 5,000-6,000 VND per kilogram, but now the price is "as cheap as a gift".

"Last year, I could wholesale 3-5 tons of oranges to facilities in Ho Chi Minh City a day, now it's only about 1-1.5 tons," Ms. Huong said about the sharp decrease in purchasing power.

A report from the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of Vinh Long also shows that in Tam Binh, grade 1 oranges cost 4,000 VND per kilogram, grade 2 oranges cost 3,000 VND, and pomelos cost 2,000 VND, all down 50% compared to the previous crop.

According to the Department, the reason for the decrease in orange prices is that the markets are consuming very slowly, while the output from the suppliers is high, leading to a "market overflow". Growers suffered losses in the previous crop, so they are not interested in taking care of their gardens, making the fruit look unattractive this time, causing prices to plummet.

In addition, according to traders, many types of cheap fruits from the Chinese market are flooding into Vietnam, combined with the Northern oranges and Vinh oranges entering season, with output increasing 10-15% compared to last year, making it difficult for navel oranges to compete.

Many orange purchasing facilities in Vinh Long use trucks to transport oranges to sell on the sidewalks of Ho Chi Minh City. Photo: Thi Ha

According to the Department of Agriculture of the provinces: Vinh Long, Tra Vinh, Dong Nai,... this year's orange output reached millions of tons, of which, Vinh Long alone is about 1 million tons. Currently, the supply in the market is in excess - this is a great pressure in the consumption stage when the purchasing power in the market is too weak.

In addition to focusing on distribution at low prices, the Departments of Agriculture are also promoting trade to find markets in industrial zones in Ho Chi Minh City, Binh Duong and the northern provinces to increase consumption. The Departments also encourage businesses to promote deep processing.

Currently, the Department of Crop Production (Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development) has been preparing documents to send to China since May, negotiating technical criteria to promote further opening for citrus to China and other neighboring markets.

To meet the upcoming export standards, the Department recommends that local authorities and cooperatives coordinate with businesses to provide technical support for farmers. When oranges reach high quality, export activities will be easier and output will be stable.

Thi Ha

Source link: https://vnexpress.net/cam-sanh-vai-nghin-dong-mot-kg-van-e-4682254.html