Paddy prices drop sharply, Hung Yen farmers worried about spring rice crop

In recent days, the harvest has been taking place in the rice fields of Kim Dong, An Thi, Khoai Chau, Tien Lu, Phu Cu districts... in a hurry. However, contrary to the joy of a good harvest, many farmers are worried when the price of fresh rice purchased at the field suddenly dropped sharply from 500 to 2,000 VND/kg compared to the same period last year.

Vinh Xa commune field (Kim Dong) in harvest season

In Vinh Xa commune (Kim Dong), farmers are entering the 2025 spring rice harvest. Mr. Dao Van Toan, one of the large-scale rice growers in Dao Xa village, shared: “My family grows 8 hectares of high-yield rice. Last year, the price of fresh rice was 7,000 - 7,500 VND/kg, this year traders pay only 5,500 - 5,600 VND/kg. This is the lowest level in the past 3 years”. Mr. Toan said that this crop he expects to collect about 20 tons of rice. However, with the current selling price, he is in no hurry to sell fresh rice but waits to dry and preserve it, hoping that the price will increase slightly after the peak harvest.

Not only Mr. Toan, many farmers in key rice growing areas in the province are also in a similar situation. While input costs such as fertilizers, pesticides, machine rental prices, labor costs, etc. have increased simultaneously, the price of rice has "plummeted". Preliminary calculations of some households show that after 3 months of care and harvesting, rice growers have low profits, even having to compensate for losses.

Farmers in the provinces are urgently harvesting spring rice.

Mrs. Tran Thi Mat, in Da Quang village, Vuong town (Tien Lu) lamented: This spring crop, my family planted 1.8 hectares of DH15 rice, with an average yield of 1.5 quintals/sao. At the beginning of the season, traders bought fresh rice right in the field at a price of 5,800 - 6,000 VND/kg. However, when the harvest season came, no one came to buy anymore. I contacted some traders in the area and was told that the price of rice was falling sharply, so they only bought dried rice, at a price of about 7,000 VND/kg. With this selling price, if deducting all expenses, I would have to lose 200,000 VND/sao, not including the cost of care.

According to a survey by reporters, the prices of most types of rice have decreased sharply. Specifically, glutinous rice at the beginning of the season was purchased at 8,600 VND/kg, now it has decreased to 7,000 VND/kg; Bac Thom No. 7 rice has decreased from 7,700 VND/kg to 7,000 VND/kg... Many traders and traders said that this price is the lowest in the past 3 years.

Farmers in Da Quang village, Vuong town (Tien Lu) harvest spring rice.

According to the explanation from the rice business community, one of the main reasons for the decrease in rice prices is the difficulty in exporting rice. Ms. Loan, a rice trader in Yen My town (Yen My) said: "Previously, during the peak harvest season, I bought 50-70 tons of rice per day. This year, I only buy 10-30 tons per day. Many large enterprises are not interested in buying or offer quite low prices." Part of the reason is that recently the world's rice export price has decreased, while some major rice-producing countries have lifted export restrictions, causing supply to increase and prices to decrease.

According to information from the Department of Agriculture and Environment, this spring crop, the entire Hung Yen province planted over 23,600 hectares of rice. Many localities are entering the peak harvest season, combine harvesters are operating at full capacity, bags of rice are lined up along the fields waiting for traders to come and buy, but the uncertain output has caused many farmers to choose to store rice instead of selling it fresh.

Many farmers choose to dry rice and preserve it while waiting for prices to go up.

Faced with this situation, farmers and traders all hope that the relevant authorities and businesses will soon implement synchronous solutions to support the consumption of rice in the province. At the same time, there should be policies to stabilize the market of input materials such as fertilizers, pesticides, etc. to reduce cost pressure, helping farmers feel secure to continue production.

In the context of fluctuating agricultural prices, more than ever, there needs to be close connection between all levels, sectors, businesses and farmers to ensure sustainable output for rice, one of the main crops of Hung Yen agriculture.

Huong Giang - Duong Mien

Source: https://baohungyen.vn/gia-thoc-giam-sau-nong-dan-hung-yen-thap-thom-vu-lua-xuan-3181856.html