Loc Binh: The Melancholy of Watermelon

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- In recent days, farmers in Loc Binh district have been extremely worried, as the watermelon harvest season has arrived but the selling price has dropped to only 3,000 - 5,000 VND/kg, a decrease of 2,000 - 3,000 VND/kg compared to last year.

Residents of Ban Moi 1 village, Tu Doan commune, Loc Binh district are harvesting watermelons.

Loc Binh is one of the districts with a large area of ​​watermelon cultivation in the province. At this time, people are harvesting, however, unlike the bustling scene of harvesting to sell to traders as in the past, this year, some watermelon fields have ripened but there are still no people to harvest them.

Ms. Ly Thi Ha, from Phieng Phuc village, Khanh Xuan commune, shared: "This year, my family planted more than 1 sao (approximately 1000 square meters) of watermelon. In previous years, traders would buy watermelons at 7,000-8,000 VND/kg, but currently the purchase price has dropped very low, sometimes even as low as 3,000 VND/kg. To compensate for the expenses, I have to sell them retail at the market. However, the quantity sold is insignificant. With this situation, my family only hopes to recoup our investment this year."

Not only in Khanh Xuan commune, but watermelon growers in several neighboring communes in the district are also facing the same situation. Ms. Hoang Thi Thu, from Ban Moi 1 village, Tu Doan commune, said: "Last year, my family planted nearly 3 sao (approximately 0.3 hectares) of watermelons and earned over 20 million VND. Seeing the profit, this year, my family continued to maintain the same area of ​​3 sao. However, this year, due to unfavorable weather, the yield is low, while the purchase price at the field is very low, only 3,500 to 5,000 VND/kg. To salvage something, my family cut the fruit and sold it retail at the market for only 6,000 to 7,000 VND/kg, but even that is difficult to find buyers."

According to statistics, this year, Loc Binh district has over 187.3 hectares of watermelon (an increase of over 83.4 hectares compared to the same period in 2024), mainly concentrated in some communes such as Tu Doan, Khuat Xa, Tu Mich, Dong Quan... The watermelon yield reached over 115 quintals/hectare, with an estimated production of over 2,300 tons.

According to information from specialized agencies, the reason for the drop in watermelon prices is that farmers grow them spontaneously, without any coordinated product distribution, and are completely dependent on private traders. In years when there are few or no private traders coming to buy, watermelon prices will plummet.

Ms. Duong Thi Thu Hang, Deputy Head of the Agriculture and Environment Department of Loc Binh district, said: Watermelon is a crop that people have been growing in the district for a long time. However, currently, farmers lack close links from production to consumption, leading to price drops. To support watermelon farmers in developing a more stable and sustainable way, in the coming time, the department will continue to disseminate information and advise farmers to monitor market conditions, avoid mass planting; guide and encourage people to apply scientific and technical methods to production, focus on safe and VietGAP-certified care to ensure product quality and meet market demands…

For many years, watermelon has been a native crop of Loc Binh district, providing a stable source of income for the people. Finding a market for watermelons is therefore essential. Currently, the greatest wish of the farmers is for relevant authorities and agencies to pay attention, provide effective solutions, and establish market linkages… to ensure a stable market for their watermelons, contributing to a successful watermelon harvest for the farmers.

Source: https://baolangson.vn/loc-binh-nguoi-nong-dan-thap-thom-vi-dua-hau-truot-gia-5049577.html