Apricot prices drop sharply, people worried in the middle of harvest

BBK- Bac Kan apricots have long been a prominent specialty of the northern mountainous region, contributing to the development of the local economy and tourism. However, this year's harvest has caused apricot growers to face difficulties due to reduced fruit quality and low selling prices.

Apricots grown on the hills of Cao Ky commune, Cho Moi district.

Late April and early May of the solar calendar is the peak of the apricot season. On the hillsides of Cao Ky, Hoa Muc communes (Cho Moi), My Thanh, Don Phong communes (Bach Thong), Xuat Hoa ( Bac Kan city), the atmosphere of apricot picking is bustling, the gathering and weighing points of apricot traders are equally busy.

Although the price has decreased, apricot is still a crop chosen by many people to develop the economy .

Cho Moi District, known as the "apricot capital" of Bac Kan, has more than 400 hectares of apricots, of which more than 250 hectares are being harvested. In Cao Ky Commune, the largest apricot growing area in the district, on main crop days, from early morning, people flock to the garden to harvest, while some traders wait at purchasing points right on the main roads.

People carry apricots to sell at the apricot weighing point of Doan Ket Cooperative.

Along Hua Phai and Na Nguoc villages (Cao Ky commune), convoys of motorbikes and trucks urgently transport apricots to the gathering point. The bags of fresh apricots are quickly weighed and packaged for timely transportation to the lowland provinces for consumption.

Price drop

Although this year's apricot trees are fruitful and have higher yields, the quality is not as expected. The prolonged dry weather is the reason why the apricots are small and uneven in appearance, which has led to a sharp drop in apricot prices compared to 2024.

This crop, the income from apricots of Mr. Dang Phuc Quang's family, Na Nguoc village, Cao Ky commune (Cho Moi) is lower than last year.

Ms. Dinh Thi Nhung, Quan Ha commune (Bach Thong district), shared: “This year, there are many apricots but the fruits are small, the selling price is only about 6,000 - 8,000 VND/kg, much lower than last year. However, apricot trees are still a stable source of income, so I decided to expand the planting area.”

Specifically, yellow apricots (hairy apricots), a fruit with higher value, are currently purchased at 6,000-15,000 VND/kg, while last year it peaked at 30,000 VND/kg. Dwarf apricots are even lower, only 5,000-8,000 VND/kg, with some days traders paying only 4,000 VND/kg.

Mr. Dang Phuc Quang, Na Nguoc village (Cao Ky commune), said: “Each crop, I harvest about 20 tons of apricots. Last year, the price was high, and after deducting labor costs, I still made a good profit. This year, the price is only 7,000 VND/kg, after deducting the cost of hiring pickers of 2,000 VND/kg, I actually only pocket 5,000 VND/kg.”

Not only are apricot growers upset, but purchasing units are also facing difficulties. Ms. Nguyen Thi Sam, Group 13, Song Cau Ward (Bac Kan City), said: "This year, the apricots are small, the quality is not up to standard, many customers refuse to buy the goods. The consumption quantity has decreased sharply compared to previous years, while the amount of apricots harvested is very large."

Pressure from output, limited deep processing

The entire Bac Kan province currently has about 700 hectares of apricots, with an estimated output of over 3,000 tons/year, consumed mainly through traders and small cooperatives. The quantity put into deep processing at large enterprises is still limited.

In the area, the two main processing units are Misaki Co., Ltd. (Cho Moi district) and BORDERLESS ASIA Co., Ltd. (Bac Kan city) mainly selecting quality fruits (large, uniform fruits). Meanwhile, most of the products of small-scale farmers have not been carefully classified, leading to failure to meet export requirements.

Ms. Trinh Thi Thu, Director of Doan Ket Cooperative, said that this year's apricots are small so customers cannot buy them at high prices.

Ms. Trinh Thi Thu, Director of Doan Ket Cooperative (Cao Ky Commune), said: “Customers now pay a lot of attention to the size and uniformity of the fruit. Small, crushed apricots are heavily priced. At the beginning of the season, we bought dwarf apricots for about 9,000 VND/kg, but in the middle of the season, it was only 5,000-6,000 VND/kg. If people do not classify well, it will be difficult to maintain the price.”

What is the solution for sustainable apricot tree development?

In reality, apricot trees are still a potential crop, helping many households increase their income, but to prevent apricot prices from fluctuating seasonally, it requires a synchronous change from people's awareness to direction from authorities at all levels.

After being purchased, the apricots are classified and cleaned.

Accordingly, growers need to focus on applying technical advances in care, pest control, and selecting good varieties to increase the rate of large, beautiful fruits. After harvesting, it is necessary to carefully classify and package to ensure quality during transportation and consumption.

On the part of the government and the agricultural sector, it is necessary to promote the construction of apricot material areas that meet standards, support farmers to participate in the production-consumption chain, and sign long-term contracts with processing enterprises. At the same time, it is necessary to encourage investment in more deep processing factories and diversify apricot products to increase added value.

Bac Kan apricots are consumed in many localities across the country.

By synchronously implementing the above solutions, Bac Kan province can completely build a sustainable "Bac Kan Apricot" brand, bringing local agricultural products far and wide./.

Thu Trang - Trieu Hien

Source: https://baobackan.vn/gia-mo-giam-sau-nguoi-dan-lo-lang-giua-vu-thu-hoach-post70494.html