Record low price of cantaloupe, people "hang up gardens"

(Baothanhhoa.vn) - The price of cantaloupes has dropped sharply this year, causing farmers to suffer losses. Many households are currently "hanging up their gardens" and are hesitant to plant the next crop.

The price of yellow melons has dropped, causing concern among the people.

Nga Thanh commune is considered the "capital" of yellow melons in Nga Son district thanks to the outstanding economic efficiency of this crop. From over 3,000 square meters in 2016, the area of ​​yellow melon cultivation in greenhouses throughout the commune has now exceeded 10 hectares.

In previous years, watermelons sold for 25,000 - 30,000 VND/kg, bringing in profits of up to 60 - 70 million VND/1,000m2/crop. Many households even cultivated four crops a year without letting their land rest, earning hundreds of millions of VND annually.

Many fields of yellow melons are ready for harvest, but there are no traders yet to buy them.

However, watermelon prices in 2025 plummeted to a record low, reaching only 13,000-14,000 VND/kg for grade 1 watermelons, less than half the price compared to the same period last year. In particular, grade 2 and 3 watermelons only sold for 5,000-8,000 VND/kg, while investment costs remained unchanged.

Unfavorable weather conditions and poor soil quality have reduced the quality of the melons.

Ms. Mai Thi Phuong, from Bac Trung village, Nga Thanh commune, one of the households that have been involved with growing yellow melons since the beginning, shared: "The price of melons this year is too low, and traders are also absent. In previous years, they usually came 15-20 days before harvest to place orders, but this year, the farmers have to take them to the market themselves to sell retail."

According to Ms. Phuong, the quality of watermelons this year is inconsistent, with a low percentage of first-grade watermelons, making sales even more difficult. Meanwhile, the cost of fertilizer, seeds, and labor has increased, leaving many households almost empty-handed after the main harvest.

Instead of traders coming directly to the fields to buy the produce as in previous years, farmers have to sell it retail to the market themselves.

Sharing the same sentiment, Mr. Mai Van Hao, one of the pioneering households growing yellow melons since 2018 with an area of ​​2,000m2, said: "Previously, with high yields and melon prices ranging from 25,000 to 30,000 VND/kg, each season, my family earned from 70 to 100 million VND/1,000m2. But this year, with the current melon prices, it's not even enough to cover the investment costs."

"Usually, after harvesting, we plant the new crop right away, but this year, the prices are too low, everyone is hesitant and no one dares to plant because they are afraid of incurring further losses," Mr. Hao worried.

It has been found that the reason for the "plunging" price of melons and the difficulty in selling them is partly due to an oversupply in the market. This year, the fruit harvest was abundant, and many localities expanded the area planted with yellow melons, leading to a decrease in consumption.

In addition, soil degradation for long-time farmers, combined with harsh weather conditions, including heatwaves exceeding 36 degrees Celsius, has reduced the quality of yellow melons...

Faced with the sharp drop in the price of yellow melons, many households are hesitant about planting a new crop. Preliminary statistics show that about 30% of the land in Nga Thanh commune is currently uncultivated. Some other households have proactively switched to growing flowers, grapes, etc.

It is known that the yellow melon is one of the main crops of Nga Son district in recent years, with a total area of ​​about 34 hectares, concentrated in some communes such as Nga Thanh, Nga Phuong, Nga Giap...

Given the low price of watermelons, Nga Son district advises farmers to consider switching to more suitable crops, especially for areas with long-term cultivation, allowing the land to rest and be rehabilitated. At the same time, households should establish stable sales links with businesses and cooperatives before investing in expanding their cultivated area... avoiding complete dependence on traders and the free market.

Dinh Giang

Source: https://baothanhhoa.vn/gia-dua-vang-thap-ky-luc-nguoi-dan-treo-vuon-253198.htm