(Baoquangngai.vn) - For nearly half a month now, cassava (or yam bean) growers in Duc Thang commune (Mo Duc district) have been restless because their cassava is ready for harvest but they still can't sell it, even though prices have hit rock bottom.
This time last year, the road leading to Duong Quang village in Duc Thang commune was always bustling with people and vehicles transporting cassava for sale. Now, however, the scene during harvest season has become gloomy. The cassava fields, ready for harvest, are devoid of traders. The lively conversations of buyers and sellers have been replaced by the sighs of cassava farmers.
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| People are looking for markets for cassava. |
This year, Ms. Nguyen Thi Ngoan, residing in Duong Quang village, planted over 6 sao (500m2/sao) of cassava, with an estimated yield of 18-20 tons. Despite investing tens of millions of dong in fertilizer and seeds, not including labor costs, Ms. Ngoan has only managed to sell a few hundred kilograms of cassava so far.
Ms. Ngoan confided that the people here have been involved in cassava cultivation since birth. She herself has been growing this crop for over 30 years, but has never faced such difficulties as this year. In previous years, even when cassava prices dropped, there was still a market. But now, with prices plummeting, it's impossible to sell the cassava.
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| Ms. Nguyen Thi Phuong planted 6 sao (approximately 0.6 hectares) of cassava. However, because she mistakenly bought the wrong variety of ribbed cassava, she hasn't been able to sell even a small amount to this day. |
According to locals, traders are currently very selective, only buying round, large, and beautiful cassava tubers at a price of around 1,800 VND/kg at the farm gate. Cassava tubers with ridges, which are of similar quality, are not being purchased by traders.
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| Farmers are extremely worried because even though cassava prices have dropped, there are still no buyers. |
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| Fearing they might buy the same type of cassava with ridges that wouldn't sell like this year, many people are saving the round cassava tubers for seeds. |
In previous years, cassava was highly sought after in the market, with prices sometimes reaching 7,000-8,000 VND/kg, yet still not enough to meet demand. This year, however, farmers are facing the risk of losing out on Tet (Lunar New Year) due to heavy losses and the inability to recoup their investment.
Mr. Nguyen Tu (64 years old) has 10 sao (approximately 1000 square meters) of cassava ready for harvest, with a yield of over 20 tons. Despite planting the round cassava variety, Mr. Tu has only harvested 1 ton so far. Unable to wait for traders to buy the cassava, Mr. Tu has resorted to uprooting the remaining tubers to feed his cows.
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| Mr. Tư's 10-acre cassava garden hasn't yielded much sales yet, so he has to uproot the plants one by one to feed his cows. |
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| Mr. Tư gave the cassava roots to the cows to eat. |
Mr. Tu shared that cassava takes 4-6 months from planting to harvesting. During that time, we not only invest money but also a lot of effort in caring for it. Our only hope right now is to receive the support and assistance of people near and far, helping us to sell our produce and recoup some of our investment to cover expenses for the next season.
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| Many farmers had no choice but to feed their cassava tubers to their cows because they couldn't sell them. |
Cassava cultivation is considered a traditional occupation, providing the main source of income for the people of Duong Quang village. The village has over 400 households, of which 300 are involved in cassava cultivation. This is the largest cassava growing area in the province, covering approximately 36 hectares and producing about 1,400 tons per year.
According to Nguyen Tan Viet, Chairman of the People's Committee of Duc Thang commune, cassava tubers harvested in the area were previously mainly sold in southern provinces. However, this year, for some unknown reason, they are not selling well. Currently, the local authorities have coordinated with associations and organizations to call on people in the province to buy the cassava to support the farmers, but so far the amount sold is still quite small compared to the amount of cassava remaining in the hands of the people.
Text and photos: THANH NHÀN
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