Rice prices continue to fall sharply.

According to information from the Department of Agriculture and Environment, as of now, the entire province has harvested over 34,400 hectares of winter-spring rice, reaching 97.8%. However, current rice prices remain significantly lower than the same period last year, averaging a decrease of 2-4 thousand VND/kg, greatly impacting people's income.

• Tran Van Thoi District reviews information on falling rice prices.
• Rice prices are 500-2,000 VND/kg higher than the same period last year.

Mr. Nguyen Van Quan, Deputy Director of the Department of Agriculture and Environment, said: “ World rice prices have decreased compared to the past two years. According to the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment, the current low rice prices are due to India lifting its rice export ban; some markets such as Indonesia and the Philippines are also restricting rice imports because they imported quite a lot in previous years; along with that is the bumper harvest in some countries, therefore Vietnamese rice prices are currently low.”

According to Mr. Quan, since before Tet (Lunar New Year), rice prices have continued to fall sharply, leading to a drop in paddy prices. Farmers' harvested paddy yields are estimated at around 5.5 tons/ha, with some areas reaching 6.5 tons/ha. While rice farmers have had a good harvest, current paddy prices range from 5,800 to 7,600 VND/kg. The sharp drop in paddy prices is affecting farmers, but it is believed that they are not yet at a loss.

Currently, traders are still buying rice from farmers. Many farmers are selling it to cover their farming expenses, while some are storing it to wait for better prices.

"This year, the situation with traders buying rice has been limited, and at times they didn't buy rice from farmers at all. However, traders have started buying again, but the purchasing power is only at an average level, not as high as last year. Therefore, selling rice for farmers has been slow at times, but it ensures that there isn't a large amount of rice left unsold," Mr. Quan added.

As the locality with the largest rice cultivation area in the province, Tran Van Thoi district planted nearly 29,000 hectares during the recent winter-spring crop season. To date, farmers have harvested over 27,800 hectares, reaching 96%; the average yield is 6.36 tons/ha; and the total harvested rice production has reached 176,940 tons. Of this, 6 out of 9 communes have completed their harvest; the remaining communes are Tran Hoi, Khanh Binh Dong, and Tran Van Thoi town.

Mr. Nguyen Viet Khai, Deputy Head of the Agriculture and Environment Department of Tran Van Thoi district, said: "This year's winter-spring rice crop was bountiful, but the price dropped. Prices fell by 2-3 thousand dong/kg compared to the same period last year, resulting in low post-harvest profits for farmers, but not to the point of losses."

According to local reports, the purchase price of rice by traders at farmers' households for some varieties such as ST24 and ST25 is 8,700-9,000 VND/kg, a decrease of 1,800-3,000 VND/kg compared to the same period last year; Dai Thom 8 variety is priced at 6,200-6,700 VND/kg, a decrease of 1,500-2,000 VND/kg compared to the same period last year; OM5451 and OM576 varieties are sold at farmers' households at 6,000-6,500 VND/kg, a decrease of 1,000-1,500 VND/kg compared to the same period last year.

Mr. Nguyen Van Ngoan, a rice trader who has been buying rice in Tran Van Thoi district for over 20 years, said: “This year, the purchase price at the warehouses has dropped too low, so the price for farmers is not as high as last year. I mainly buy rice locally and then resell it to large warehouses and factories. Farmers don't sell much; on average, I buy about 100 tons a day.”

"Currently, traders are still buying rice from farmers. Many farmers are selling it to cover their farming expenses, while some are storing it to wait for better prices. According to statistics, the amount of rice farmers are keeping for their own use is about 1,708 tons," Mr. Nguyen Viet Khai added.

Many traders are still buying rice from farmers in Tran Van Thoi district.

Assessing the situation ahead, Mr. Nguyen Van Quan said: "Given the current situation, rice prices are unlikely to reach the same highs as last year, but the decline won't be much deeper either. It is predicted that after the completion of the winter-spring rice harvest in the Mekong Delta provinces, rice prices may stabilize and slightly increase, but not significantly."

Mr. Quan analyzed: “The advantage of Vietnamese rice in general and Ca Mau in particular lies mostly in the production of high-quality specialty rice varieties. Currently, exporters are pursuing relatively demanding markets with high demand for high-quality rice, thereby contributing to increasing export volume as well as export prices. Relevant authorities need to guide farmers in producing high-quality, specialty rice varieties and participating in cooperative production chains to ensure proper technical procedures, while also guaranteeing low input costs and relatively stable product prices, thus ensuring peace of mind for production.”

Hong Nhung

Source: https://baocamau.vn/gia-lua-van-giam-sau-a37733.html